The Diamond Tiger
by raquelmina
Summary: Wille recieves a somewhat mysterious box. Once the tiger has been unleashed theres no turning back.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Dont own any characters.. yet. I have a very vast and big plan for this one. i believe you'll enjoy._

* * *

The Diamond Tiger

She tore through the alley, ducked into a doorway, and tried to squeeze into nothingness. _When had this all happened? Why was this happening?_ She squeezed her eyes shut holding in her breath trying not to be noticed.

_3 days previous._

That had been the fifth time she had cried in her adult life. Twice for Nico, once for baby William, once for Connor leaving, and now for his death. She sat there at her desk completed incased in her thoughts and oblivious to the world around her. It was late, about time for her to head home. She turned around in her chair pulling herself to her desk. She looked downwards to the proofs lying directly in front of her. They were all perfect and ready to present. They had been for the past three hours. By habit she reached out to shut her laptop but her hands landed on something else. It wasn't the familiar cool feeling of the laptop but something much smaller and harder. She looked over to where her hand was. It was a box. Not to big or to small, but small enough to go unnoticed by her. She blinked, taken aback. _Had the mail boy come again while she was sitting there? _She stared at it trying to contemplate how it had gotten there. After a moment curiosity got her as she reached for it bringing it closer into view. Turning it to the side she realized her name written out in cursive on the tag. She opened the top peering inside. There was an even smaller box inside. Pulling it out she sat it on her desk as a envelope fell out with it. She picked up the envelope flipping it over. There was no name on it but the back was left open. She pulled out the letter but something about the box caught her eye. In the lighting she couldn't quite make out what it was. Turning on the nearest lamp she stole a glance at the box. It was a deep shade of purple wrapped in velvet. She stared at it realizing what had caught her eye. It was the clasp that held it together. It was a single diamond with the initials 'WS' engraved on the plate holding it. The brilliance of the diamond scintillated throughout the room as she picked up the jeweled box. It was heavy. She pushed at the diamond opening the box to find nothing. The box was empty. Confused she turned her attention back to the letter now sitting on her desk. The paper was folded into thirds but it was so thin that the writing from the bottom side shown through. She opened it.

**Wilhelmina,**

**I'm still here. I couldn't tell you before because I needed everyone to believe I was dead. Believe me. I never meant to hurt you. I love you. Take this and wear it as a symbol for my love.**

**Me,**

**P.S. Burn This.**

Her head spun_. What?_ She reread the letter analyzing every detail. The way it was said, the writing, It was all his. But it couldn't be. _Was Connor still alive? _Her hands subconsciously flew back to the box sitting right next to her. At the touch of the fabric she turned her head towards it, brining it closer to her eyes. There was still nothing in it. She examined it for a minute, shutting her eyes, and letting her fingers trace the inside satin fabric until they met an unsmooth area. She opened her eyes to see what her fingers had found. There in the corner of the box was a little opening just big enough to stick a finger into. She did so pulling up. The fabric lifted to reveal a compartment underneath. She gasped as her jaw dropped open. Directly in the middle of the lush purple fabric sat the biggest diamond she had ever laid eyes on. Unlike any she had ever seen this one was green, but it didn't fade as lesser quality diamond would, it just kept on burning. She pulled it out, the diamond surprisingly light compared to the box it came in. Against her skin it was any even darker green like emeralds. Catching the light still remaining from outside it glowed like a fire. It seemed to light up from the inside. Realizing that it was a necklace she unclasped the Gold chain relapsing it behind her neck. The diamond fell right above her chest bone. It sat their glowing, almost like an eye. As she sat there she picked up the first box that was discarded on her desk to look for an address. There was none. _That means that it had to be delivered by hand._ She closed the purple box sliding the letter in between its folds. She picked it up deciding to keep it there until the morning so she could think. _I'll burn the letter tomorrow_. She set it inside of the glass cabinet on the side of her office where she kept her important things. Shutting it she reached for her coat, discarding the first box as she walked out of her office. She could feel the heat of the diamond on her skin as she made her way to the elevator. It opened letting her in. As the doors again began to close her hand flew to her neck where the diamond sat, feeling the warmth and the texture of it.

In the silent depts. of Mode, without a sound, the hooded figure watched as the elevator doors closed. The same feeling of accomplishment that he got after completing each step washed over him as the darkness of the building set in. Over in the corner of the room where he stood watching it was already pitch black. The elevator dinged signaling that she had gotten off at the first floor. He smiled to himself retreating back to the secret door in the wall in which he came in by. This was going to be easier then he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch 2**

Ding!

The chime of his computers IM went off. He sat there staring at his computer screen. He clicked on the now red flashing button on the side of his screen. Instantly a picture of his previous assistant Betty popped up with the words 'Morning All!' behind a rather awful close up of her fully braced face. Then the red flashing stopped as the new IM popped up on his screen.

_7:55 Amanda (TO all):_ **"**Have you seen** Wilhelmina??!!!"**

He pondered for a moment realizing that he hadn't seen her walk in at exactly 7:15 sharp that morning.

_7:56 Daniel (TO Amanda):_ "No, Why?"

_7:56 Amanda (TO all):_ "She is wearing **the biggest rock ever**!!"

_7:57 Daniel (TO Amanda):_ "On her finger?"

_7:57 Amanda (TO all):_ "No! Around her neck! Its, like, collassly huge & just **HUGE!"**

_7:58 Daniel (TO Amanda):_ "You mean colossally?"

_7:58 Amanda (TO Daniel):_ "That's what I said…"

He didn't have time to IM her back. He couldn't see her but he knew she was there by the sudden chill of ice that ran through his veins involuntarily as the sound of five inch stilettos hit the tile. He shut his computer screen as a hint of a black fur coat walked past the glass windows in front of his office. He shot up to catch her before she made it to her office. Running past an array of assistants he finally made it to her cornering her on the orange carpet directly in front of her door.

"Wilhelmina," He sputtered noticeably out of breath, nearly running into her.

All he saw was a flash of silver as her head whipped around to see him. Then he saw it. Around her neck was the biggest diamond he had ever seen. But it wasn't the size that had caught him off guard. It was the color. The intensity of the green was so vivid and stunning that his eyes were immediately drawn to it.

He was obviously staring to long for her liking because her patience had run out.

"Uh."

"What is it Daniel?"

He was awestruck at the glistening object sitting so lovingly on her neck. He didn't realize how long he'd been standing there until she walked away, into her office, leaving him still standing, rooted to the spot.

"That's new," he said, his eyes still following her as she sat down.

"Where'd you get it?"

Her eyes shot up, "Why does it matter to you?"

"Uh, it doesn't. I just--"

"Well if you must know I'm not sure." She cut him off her eyes traveling back downwards.

At the complete silence after her words she added, "It just appeared."

"Appeared?" He questioned, still at a loss.

"To me. Last night."

"What do you--"

"That's all."

Standing in her doorway he was still stunned, realizing that he hadn't moved at all sense he walked in he decided to take a step in.

"Wait, it appeared out of nowhere and you don't know if its someone else's and your wearing it?" He questioned.

"No. It was addressed to me."

"Addressed to you?"

Her eyes came back up to meet his again, this time her whole facing practically spelling out 'Yes Daniel.'

"And you don't know who sent it?" He asked, pressing his luck to see how much he could get out of her.

Wilhelmina stood up, walking around the corner of her desk.

"I think that's enough questions," She said looking straight at him, "Now if you have something that pertains to work then by all means ask. But if not then I suggest you get out and mind your own business."

He knew he was pushing it just questioning her and by the look on her face he knew he should leave. The Wilhelmina he knew would have kicked him out long before, but out of pure annoyance. Not because of the questioning. With one final look at those eyes glaring back at him, literally screaming not to go, on he turned, finding his way out of her room.

Something was up and it all revolved around that necklace.

* * *

The work day was relatively short but to him it seemed to drag on for hours. His mind was still on about that necklace. He couldn't help but watch. Every time she would walk by people would stop and jump the closest open door and when she past they'd stare. But not at her as they usually did. But at the emerald lozenge figure that was encircling her neck.

* * *

"Where'd she get it?"

"I don't know," said the flamboyantly dressed assistant, a slight hint of annoyance in his voice, "She won't tell me."

"Will you find out?" He said in a hushed tone. From where he and Marc were standing against the wall he could see the whole of the conference room.

"Why are you so interested?" He said, leaning in closer to him.

"There's something odd there."

* * *

**Later on**

Though the fire was burning the place was still cold. From his position on the couch she could still see him. He sat there; his eyes scanning the place for any sign of something that might tell him where that necklace had came from. He looked over at where she stood behind the counter, the rock still around her neck. Normally after a long day at work the first thing she'd do when she got home was take her shoes off, setting them in her closet, followed by the removal of her jewelry. But that necklace hadn't left her sights for even a minute. _And if im right_, Marc thought to himself,_ I don't think it's been off of her sense she got it. _He didn't blame her. If someone mysteriously dropped off a diamond necklace worth 'who-knows-how-many' billion dollars on his doorstep with out a return address he wouldn't let it out of his sights either. That was also what worried him. The thought that it might be something that someone was so keen to get rid of that they didn't post a return address so that the problem would be out of their hands. _Maybe because the necklace was DOOMED, _he thought.

He looked up again just in time to see her figure moving away from him, towards her room.

"Where are you going!?" He yelled almost too enthusiastically shooting straight up from where he sat.

She turned to face him raising her eyebrow.

"To the bathroom Marc."

"Ah. Oh right!" He said covering for his sudden burst of interest.

She eyed him before turning to head down the hallway to her bathroom.

The moment he heard the door click signaling that she was locked in he shot up, rummaging through her glass drawers and cabinets, book shelves, desks, and mirror spaces. Nothing. He ran to the kitchen to check the counter top where her mail usually wound up. There was nothing but junk mail, party invites, and one letter address to Wil-HELL-mina Slater. He picked it up, grabbing her letter opener as he did. Sliding it underneath the flap he opened it silently as to not disturb the silence in the house. Flipping it open he realized it was a hate mail from a recently fired employee. Deciding that that was not going to help the situation, much less her mood and temperament, he decided to discard it. He turned on his heel placing one foot on the pedal of the trashcan to open it.

"What are you doing?"

He froze at the words being uttered from behind him.

"Uh nothing," he said spinning around to see her holding the letter behind his back.

"Will, do you know if that's a diamond?"

"No. I was planning on having it checked."

* * *

**Next day**

"I found nothing," he said remembering the hate mail.

"Hmm." Daniel muttered, handing him a fake report on accounting to make their visits less suspicious.

"Marc!"

"Gotta go!" he sputtered, picking up a few spreads for his boss, getting up from his chair.

"Yes Will."

"I'm going gone for a minute then out the rest of the day Marc. Have Amanda hold all of my calls and messages." She said as he placed the files on her desk.

"Do you need anything?" He said, staring at the back of her chair.

"No," she replied spinning around in her chair. Sure enough, around her neck like a fingerprint was the stunning green diamond. She stood up, taking the spreads with her as she walked out of the room. He began to pick up the discarded Starbucks cup on her desk swooping back to throw it away at his desk, stopping only to see his reflection in the mirror in the glass cabinet on her wall. He began to walk by then suddenly stopped turning his head back towards the mirrored cabinet.

There was something new. Something different. He looked closely examining the cabinet thought the glass. Then looking both ways for any sign of Wilhelmina he opened the door sticking his hand in. _Ah! That's it! _He thought as he pulled out the unfamiliar purple velvet box.

Staring at it he realized that the initials 'WS' were engraved on the clasp. _Wilhelmina Slater! _Carefully opening the box he peered inside.

* * *

"Ms. Slater."

She turned around not taking her sunglasses off.

A frightened looking new mail boy stood in front of her holding up a letter to her. She took on look at his face instantly missing the old mail boy. He at least didn't look her straight in the eye. This new boy had no class. Taking the envelope she wondered where the old mail boy had gotten to. _Oh yeah. I fired him._

She looked down at the envelope as he walked away. Her heart skipped a beat. It was the same exact distinct coloring as the last envelope she had received yesterday. She turned, holding the letter close to her, checking to see if anyone was in view. Though it was just mid-day there was no one there. Not even the girl who worked the phones in the first place.

She turned on her heel away from the doughnut shaped cubicle towards her office.

She walked in so fast shutting the door behind her in such a rush that she was oblivious to Marc rapidly shutting the cabinet next to her desk before exiting.

Pulling the blinds to the windows to provide a feeling of security she returned to her seat opening the envelope.

Her eyes opened wide in shock. Pulling out her cell phone she quickly typed in the information needed.

_TO Daniel_:

Meet me at the Natural History Museum steps. **10 min.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ch 3**

He had been standing there at the bottom of the steps for about a minute straight with no trace of her. He pulled out his phone to double check the message he had received only minutes before. _Meet me at the Natural History Museum steps. 10 min. _There was no mistake. After the cab driver had dropped him off he had ran the rest of the way there, wondering the whole time what this could be about. _Was she planning on breaking some news to him? On humiliating him? On making him look a fool running to the Natural History Museum mid-day on a work day. Was it a press stunt? One of her schemes?_ What ever it was he had come running straight into it.

He turned, the cold air whipping at his neck and bare hands. Then from the corner of his eye he saw her on the top step taking her phone out.

"Wilhelmina what's this about?" He said reaching the top step.

She stopped texting, looking up when he came. In a flash she had put here phone away replacing it with an envelope.

"I already know about your necklace." He said at the pronouncement of the envelope.

"It's not that, I think im being watched."

"Marc told me--- what?"

"Is there somewhere we can go?"

* * *

"Ok. What are you talking about?" He said, shutting the door to his apartment behind him.

She produced the envelope from her pocket again handing it to him.

Taking it he opened it and read it then pulled out an identical envelope that had been earlier given to him by Marc.

Wilhelmina gasped at the sight of the envelope, "Where'd you get that?"

"Marc, I already told you. Why didn't you burn it?"

"I didn't get around to it yet." She said in complete awe.

Something inside of him clicked not fully believing her statement. He stared at the two letters for a moment putting them side by side.

"There not the same." He said examining the writing.

"Let me see," She said pulling his hands down to her eye level. She gasped for the second time looking at the two different writing styles. They were practically equivalent until you looked at the angle of the 's's down to the swoops at the ends.

She stood there in disbelief for as moment staring at the two letters simultaneously, re-reading the latter one, sending a cold chill down her spine.

**Wilhelmina, this must remain secret. It would be a sad loss if that diamond of yours were to turn up missing. And remember. I'll be watching. **

"Why did you come to me?"

She turned, facing him, deciding how to answer.

"Because quite frankly you are the last person that I would go to. So if someone's tracking me they won't link to you. Also by the little show of what Marcs already done I don't quite trust him."

"And you trust me?" He asked, slightly holding his breath.

"No."

He swallowed, nodding, not knowing what he had expected.

"Well we have to take the next step."

"And what's that?" she asked, staring at him.

"Deny his instructions and tell someone."

"WHAT?"

* * *

**That night**

Though it was the most comfortable couch she owned she didn't feel comfortable at all. Subconsciously she bit on her nail as the phone in her hands back light timer went off. She clicked the control making it turn on again staring back at the latest of Daniels messages to her. _Tell me when he gets there._

She looked down re-reading it again as a knock came on her door. _I told him it would be open,_ she thought as her conversation with him earlier had entailed. The sound of a tiny metal click reached her ears as the door handle turned. She quickly typed a reply to Daniels previous message as he door began to open. _He's here. _

She stood up just in time to see a figure no less then six foot two enter the doorway. He was big. Bigger then she had imagined from the voice heard over the phone receiver earlier. Walking closer she saw that he wore only black pants and a white shirt, which over accentuated his very muscular chest, under his tan coat.

"Wilhelmina Slater? I'm Cole Blackburn." Wilhelmina's eyes widened as he stopped in front of her and realized just how big he was. He kept his hand extended giving her time to recover from the reaction.

"Your bodyguard and detective," He said at the hesitation on her part. His voice calm, almost soothing. She broke the long stare she had been holding with his slate grey eyes.

"Right," she said pulling out her hand. "Mr. Blackburn," she said taking his hand. It engulfed hers with gentle grip. She broke the gesture avoiding his gaze, "I was expecting someone different."

"Oh?" He said as though he had been told that a million times before," Different how?"

She stuttered for a moment before choosing what to say. "Just different."

"Ah."

Now opening his brief case he pulled out a file. On it were the words 'Connor Owens' stamped in big black bold print. He pulled out another folder, this one with no words on it, setting his brief case down. Looking up from the files he moved his cool grey eyes to her.

"You have the diamond?"

"Yes," she said.

"In close proximity?" He questioned his voice still very smooth and controlled.

"Yes."

"You said it appeared last night?"

"It was delivered to me in a box with a letter attached."

"And what about the letter from your stocker?"

She looked to her side at the table on which her blackberry sat vibrating. _Daniel,_ she thought. Cole looked to reaching forward to retrieve it grabbing it just before she did.

"You cannot text anyone." He said his words blunt.

"What?"

He looked down clicking the phone until the red light stopped flashing, deleting the text.

"Not until we block any access to your phone so our man cannot interpret your texts."

Shocked she let out an almost inaudible "ah".

He could sense the dislike coming from the way her body was acting towards him.

"Trust me, this is standard procedure." He said offering a smile.

"Ok so I'm going to have to be around you 24/7." He said not looking up, from her phone.

"Excuse me?"

"Your shadow. If you want to find a killer you have to think like one. I need to know an of his access points."

If possible Wilhelmina's face went pale.

"What?"

"You said killer." She said.

"Yes," he said feeling her tense.

"You really think this man might kill me? Why?"

"Well he's already sent you a note to threaten. He may not have drastic intentions in mind but he does want that rock you're wearing so nonchalantly around your neck."

Automatically her hand flew to the place under her coat where he diamond sat on her neck.

"How did you--?"

"It's my job to know everything," he said his eyes alive but not intense.

She swallowed unbuttoning her trench coat to take off the necklace.

Cole's eyes stared at the necklace taking in its brilliance. "No. Keep that on you at all times," He said not taking his eyes off of the shining green diamond. "It's your best protection and your worst enemy. But it may just keep you alive. Or not."

"And if it doesn't?"

"That's my job." He said. She nodded, looking into his reassuring eyes, realizing that Cole wasn't the thing to fear. It was the rock placed on her neck.

* * *

_Why isn't she responding? She said she would keep me updated every few minutes,_ Daniel thought to himself sitting in a low crouched position behind the doorway to the stairs of her building. A worried feeling washed over him at her non response. Deciding to look over it he texted her again.

* * *

The phone, still in Cole's hands vibrated as he adjusted his position in his seat.

"Ah, it seems your friend just can't take a hint," he said to the third text he had received while sitting there. "Who is this?"

"That's Daniel," She said watching him across the table checking her phone.

* * *

It had been ten minutes from her last text. He stood up from his position on the cold cement. He didn't like it. _Why wouldn't she text him?_ He knew she was nervous about the whole thing. Something about not trusting detectives and something about her daughter was all he had picked up from their brief conversation that afternoon.

Fishing out a key from his oversized pocket he opened the emergency door walking inside down to her door. Checking his phone one more time he decided to check on the situation. As quietly as he could he slid the key she had given him just in case into the lock. As he turned it he braced himself for whatever lay on the other side.

The door burst open. Daniel stood there completely ready. Taking a sweep over the room he looked for signs of a body guard and Wilhelmina. There was no one. The room was completely blank. He blinked not believing his eyes. He stepped in his heart racing.

_Where the hell is Wilhelmina?_

The door shut behind him as he noticed the fireplace burning behind the couch. Then while staring at the fireplace something caught him off guard. There was a flicker outside of the fire place. A green one reflecting off the walls. Moving closer the flicker multiplied bouncing off the walls. Watching the lights shimmer against the darkness of the room he noticed that they all came from one point. Around the corner leading to her hallway. He followed.

Rounding the corner the lights stopped as a hand shot out of the darkness connecting with his shoulder. He was blown to the ground all of a sudden as the wind was knocked out of him. Instinct taking over he popped his hands up in defense only to she a circular nose being pointed directly at his head.

"Who are you?" came a booming voice from behind the hand holding the gun in the darkness.

"Don't shoot," came a voice not far behind the other.

A tiny light went off on the ground as his cell phone lit up from the place that it had fallen out of his pocket.

Without faltering the hand behind the gun kept him at point blank as another reached forward retrieving the phone.

"You must be Daniel," the voice said as a light turned on from down the hallway lighting up the whole scene.

"What the hell was that?!" He yelled still from the ground. The man standing in front of Daniel returned his gun to a place under his coat smiling a almost warming smile.

"Sorry mate." He said reaching out offering a hand to Daniel on the ground. He denied it still shaken by what just happened.

At that moment Wilhelmina appeared from around the shoulder of the tall man, staring at Daniel with grey knowing eyes, still wearing the iridescent necklace around her neck.

"Who the hell is this? Why weren't you answering your phone? I thought we had a plan. You can't turn back on me Wilhelmina like you always--"

"You told him!?"

Daniel stopped yelling at her at the sudden bellowing voice coming from the man in front of him.

"How do you know!?" He yelled again now looking at the man, "You told him? Who are you?!" He hollered now taking a step closer to the man.

A set of powerful hands took hold of him holding him to the wall, the unfriendly feeling of metal against his temple.

"I don't think your in the position to be asking questions my friend," the man said just as forcefully as his actions, "The question is who are you?"

"Don't shoot him," Wilhelmina butted in from behind the man. He lowered his gun only slightly still close enough to watch as the other man against the wall sweated.

"Daniel this is Mr. Blackburn, my bodyguard and detective. I couldn't text you because I cant have my tracker know who my contacts were." She took a breath turning towards Cole.

"He is Daniel Meade my co partner at Mode and the only other person who knows." She watched as Cole lowered his gun returning it once again.

Daniel shrugged him off putting a great distance between himself and Cole.

"I can't believe you told someone," Blackburn said his voice calm again though direct.

"Why are you so concerned I told someone?"

"The note clearly said not to." He said the agitation behind his words showing.

"Well I told you didn't I?" She responded matching his subtle aggression.

"And that was smart. It might just save your life. Can you even trust him?"

Wilhelmina turned her head away from Cole towards Daniel for the first time looking him dead in the eye. There was a moment of silence in which on the sound of hushed breathing could be heard.

"Yes."


	4. Chapter 4

**Ch 4**

Though she knew her life may be at risk she had a slight safety feeling hovering over her head. Sitting there every moment put her in danger but it wasn't affecting her as she thought it would. He was there. She looked up from the spread that had just been handed to her by some nameless features editor. In the corner of the conference room almost like a rock he was standing there, taking up at least half of the door space with his arm. She knew she had begun to zone out when a sharp nudge came from Marc on her left. Jolting up slightly she removed the pen from her mouth where she had been chewing on it refocusing on the features editor trying to convince her to put their story in this month's magazine.

"So?" came the voice of the editor trying so hard not to sound nervous.

"I thinks its great. What about you Wilhelmina?"

She turned facing Daniel who's eyes were staring at her with an almost annoyed expression. She again removed the pen from her lips where it had drifted back again.

"Um. I don't see why not"

"No I mean what do you think about his idea?"

She had been completely zoned out and had no clue what idea he was referring to.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Cole's figure move slightly his eyes shifting between all the innocent onlookers. He didn't like it.

"You know what," she said in almost a whisper just to him, "This meeting is over."

She stood up picking up the spreads on the conference table desk in front of her. Everyone in the room stood up not wanting to be the last one sitting. She turned walking away leaving through the glass doors to her office.

Setting down the proofs she inhaled taking in a large breath as the sound of large footsteps made its way to her ears. She turned around seeing Cole entering her office.

She didn't want to admit it but she like having Cole there. It gave her a sense of security that she had never had before. _Having someone there, on your side_.

"How the heck are people supposed to believe your Wilhelmina's cousin if you're staring them down every time they take a glance at her?!" Daniel said in a hushed yell as the door slammed closed behind him.

"Well on the contrary Daniel. Staring people down is something I do very well," She said looking him dead in the eye.

He snorted. He couldn't believe that she liked this guy. _He held a gun to my head! _Daniel thought_, Twice! _

Cole said nothing but fixed Daniel with an almost Wilhelmina-ish stair with his cold stone eyes.

"What are you doing?" he said in response to her picking up her coat from where it lay on her chair.

"I'm leaving. I need to go home to make sure things are secure." She said walking around her desk towards the door.

Daniel stood there watching as Cole made a move towards the door.

"Where are you going?" He said, physically blocking him from the door.

"Coles coming with me."

"Why?" he said still not budging.

"I need protection Daniel," She said now behind Cole, "I thought we agreed on that?"

"Yea, But--"

"But what?"

Her eyes were that of ice as she fixed him with a threatening glare.

He shifted his eyes to Coles soft ones. "Nothing."

* * *

Taking in a sharp intake of cool air she walked on. When walking out of the Meade building Cole had suggested to go on foot to be harder to track. They were ten minutes into the walk to her building and her heels were already killing her. She turned her head, looking at Cole who seemed to be studying his watch. The sky began to turn a deep shade of blue as the sun began to set behind the New York skyscrapers and the cold slowly kicked in.

Out of the corner of her eye a flash of gold on Coles' wrist sparked. She turned again seeing that he was again checking his watch.

"Turn here."

Cole stepped in front of her taking a smooth and sharp turn left into a small opening into a back alleyway behind a building.

"Why?" She said catching up to him.

"I don't trust the main road," He said his eyes forward.

Warmth came to rest at the small of her back as his hand lightly placed there pushed her onward cutting off her words.

"But you already decided to walk home to make it harder to be tracked and now your saying we she take an alleyway?" She asked almost whispering.

She stared at him. He was silent. His head inclined downwards towards the ground almost making her crouch to reach his ear.

"Cover the diamond," He said at last, his voice calm but serious.

Almost involuntarily she felt her hands go up to the zipper on her coat zipping it tightly shut, concealing the diamond.

"What makes you so nervous about the main road?" She said, this time in a true whisper.

The heat from the hand behind her increased as their pace quickened walking down the abandoned alley.

Without stopping he turned his head to her, his slate grey eyes serious with almost a hint of mystery in them.

"Do you really want to know?"

_YES!_ She thought, yet the tone she received from Coles words made her not answer. She wrapped the collar of her coat around her even tighter as a long cold chill went down her spine.

She stopped, the comforting warmth of his hand on her back disintegrating as Cole stopped dead short.

"What?"

"Shhh," Came the sound of his voice as his eyes averted directly upwards at the sky, "Stay here."

She opened her mouth, ready to argue but he had already disappeared, slipping out of sight behind a nearby dumpster.

Like a blanket the darkness crept in completely submersing her as she stood there waiting. Turning her head at the slightest noise, she wrapped her arms around her body as to draw more warmth to in. From the glimpse of the light she received that far into the alley wall she could just make out a couple walking arm in arm down the street. _Completely free and careless_, she thought.

Just then the sensation of being taken by surprise rushed over her as a pair of big arms wrapped around her waist and another around her neck reaching for the zipper on her coat.

Immediately, as if it was first nature, her chin dropped as her dominate right arm swung forcefully back elbowing the attacker in the solar flexes. The strength of the arms around her loosened from where they were holding her inches above the ground as her stiletto made contact with the attackers left shoe. The arms dropped her to ground level, obviously shocked at her fighting back. She swerved her right arm up connecting and breaking the person's nose. From the deep grunts of pain coming from behind her ear she figured it was a man and veered her right arm down fracturing the groin. The arms let go completely freeing her.

She was already running before her heels even hit the concrete underneath her. She had stunned her male attacker gaining her some time as she ran full speed almost blindly through the pitch black alley. Heaving she reached the near end of the alleyway the moon silhouetting the obstacles coming at her. She snaked left jumping into a doorway squeezing her body completely into it as the sounds of pain ceased from behind her and the sound of loud thundering footsteps took its place.

The dark being now fully set in hiding her. She hoped. She stood there not breathing, her heart racing as the sound of footsteps increased.

Then the sound stopped. Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes shot open. She blinked. There was no one there. She turned her head a fraction of an inch to the right, peering over the dumpster adjacent to her with only her eyes.

The only sound to be heard was that of the freezing air whipping at her. She heard him before she saw him. The most miniscule sound of harsh breathing reached her ears as the dark figure drew closer around the dumpster, completely in silence only moments away from where she stood. The figure turned his head right looking down the opposite side of the alleyway from where she stood hidden. As he began to turn his head left another hand came flinging out of the darkness, a flash of silver flickering with it.

The big man in front swayed as the hand hit him on top of the head with the shining object.

Her heart thundered as the man crumbled to the ground, the man with the object stepping closer. Cole. She heard herself let out a breath as he bent down to the man now collapsed on the ground. His hands flew to the mans neck checking his pulse. Wilhelmina felt herself step forward, out of the crammed doorway, towards him.

Cole turned, snapping the gun directly at her then immediately tucking it back underneath his coat. She walked just before where he was kneeling completely at ease.

"He's still alive," He said, his grey eyes on the man, "Just badly hurt."

She swallowed not sure that her voice would work from the fear she had just felt moments before.

"Shouldn't we kill him?"

Cole stood up his gaze calming and almost relaxing once again.

"No, I tend not to kill if I don't have to," he said keeping her gaze locked with his.

She took in a deep breath as Cole extended his arm out to her, taking hers. She trembled internally at his touch. He didn't notice as stepped away from the man at his feet, in direction of her.

She didn't tremble because she was scared. She trembled because she truly had someone on her side, fighting for her. She stared into his eyes knowing that he had saved her. She completely trusted him.

"We need to get out of here," he said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The office was relatively quite as he hit send for the third time on his cell phone.

She hadn't answered her phone at all last night and now she wasn't at work. He sat there staring at the phone in his hands as the minor sounds of work being done sprang into action all around him. Looking at the phones screen he shifted in his seat. Picking up his coat he walked towards the door.

"Where ya goin?"

Daniel looked up to see Wilhelmina's assistant Marc coming towards him, holding a tux in his hands.

He cleared his throat, putting his phone away in his pocket. "Out. I need to get some air."

"Oh, well when your done you should put this on," He said offering the tux to Daniel.

"What's this for?"

"For? This is for the ball tonight. Remember? The one Meade hosts every year for the whole magazine empire?"

"Oh," Daniel said. He had completely forgotten about the balls happening and blanked that it was tonight. "But why are you giving me a tux?"

"Because," The assistant said giving Daniel an almost 'to-gay' look, "Your going and you're representing Mode. You need to look good. Besides you don't have an assistant and it was your size."

"Marc I do have an assistant."

Marcs face came dangerously close as his voice dropped almost to a whisper.

"Not one with a fashion sense." He handed Daniel the tux and sauntered off, a furtive smile on his lips.

* * *

It was three o'clock as he checked his watch for the second time. The elevator seemed to be going at the all time slowest speed on its way up to the sixteenth floor. He was worried though he kept telling himself to calm down_. So what if she hadn't responded. It didn't mean she was hurt or in trouble. She had Cole didn't she? _He grunted. He didn't like the idea that she had Cole, for some reason the thought of her trusting Cole just didn't feel right.

The elevator opened depositing him out onto the sixteenth floor. He walked down the hall reaching the big door on the end. He knocked once hen stood back. For a moment there was silence. The questions ran through his head, _Wilhelmina? You're here but you're not at work? What are you doing? Why weren't you answering your phone?_ As the door opened.

"Wilhelmina--"

Behind the door came a muscular body followed by full jet black hair.

He cleared his throat.

"Hello Daniel," Cole said.

"Where's Wilhelmina?"

"She's unavailable."

"What? What do you mean unavailable?" He asked in disbelief.

"She can't come to the door right now."

"What do you mean, is she in there?"

"Yes." Cole said. The glazed look of overt calmness that he invoked was really beginning to tick off Daniel.

"What do you mean?"

"She's busy."

He coughed to cover his almost out loud growl of anger.

"Will you tell her to answer her phone please," He said holding back the anger, realizing that Cole wasn't going to tell him anything.

"Sorry, she had an incident and misplaced her phone last night."

"An incident?"

"Nothing important," Cole said, "But yes, an incident."

Daniel stood there in complete hatred for the man. _Why wasn't he telling him anything?_

"Well, thank you," He said, sarcasm underlying every syllable.

Cole nodded his head once as if to salute Daniel, which only frustrated him more. He turned as Cole's big hands shut the door to her room.

* * *

Somewhere in the vast darkness of the coat pocket the cell phone went off. The figure pulled out the phone to check the source of the sudden vibration. Looking at the small white object the screen flashed as a name appeared. Daniel Meade. A smirk spread across his face as he tucked the cell phone back in the pocket.

* * *

It was darker out side but the lights in the hallway made it bright enough to navigate. It was now about seven fifteen as Daniel crept his way back down the hallway of the sixteenth floor. The tux Marc had picked out for him was fitted, and made him walk in away that he felt like 007 walking down the hallway to a secret lair. But in this case it was Wilhelmina's apartment_. Which is probably the closest thing to a secret lair that you'll find in New York,_ he thought to himself. Approaching the doorway he stopped, pulling out the key she had given him. He was going to find out what was going on. The key clicked letting him in.

The place was the same as the last time he had been there. Empty. Except for this time something felt eerie about it. He stepped in, taking in every corner of the room as to make sure Cole wouldn't jump out of the darkness and attack him again. After reassuring that no one was there he took a closer look. Then he noticed it, the thing that made the place look so odd. It wasn't just empty but it seemed to be very out of order. The furniture was strewn in different parts of the room, papers that were on desks were scattered onto the floor, the drawers to desks turned over. The place had been ransacked.

His eyes followed a trail of sprinkled papers up to the island in her kitchen. He walked over to it, his heart pulsating feverishly. There on the table laid an envelope that had been hastily opened. He picked it up hoping for some clue to where she was.

**Meade Annual Ball **

_**(Hosted by Claire and Daniel Meade)**_

**Edison Ballroom: 8 o'clock**

_**240 West 47th Street  
New York, NY 10036**_

He glanced at the note realizing that I was the invitation to the Meade

Annual ball. He gulped as realization hit him. _Whatever they had been looking for they didn't get._ He had to get to that ball.

* * *

The atmosphere of the whole ball seemed to work against his nerves as he searched through the crowds of people.

"Looking good!" He heard from behind him. He turned seeing Marc standing next to his blonde haired friend Amanda in a ridiculously short blue dress, eyeing him and making winking faces.

"There you are."

He turned back at the sound of his mother's voice talking to him.

"Uh yeah, have you seen Wilhelmina?"

For a moment she looked almost taken aback by his neglect for returning the greeting before her face went back to the usual smile.

"No, I don't usually make it a point to follow her twenty-four-seven. The darkness leeches off of her."

He looked over her head trying to spot the curled caramel hair.

"Daniel are you ok?" She asked looking at him with a worried expression.

"I can't spot her."

"She's probably sinking her teeth into some editor from 'Homes and Gardens' right now."

"Ill be back,' He said, leaving her laughing to herself as she turned to watch him walk off, shocked.

Through the sea of editors mingling and conversing he was having a hard time spotting her. Coming to the corner of the room he had to turn around. Just as he did he spotted a blaze of pink and chiffon to his right. He turned seeing her standing in the corner of the room talking to some nameless editor. He began to walk in her direction. Her dress flowed out from her as she moved, shaking hands. She angled her body just slightly too where he could see the front of the dress. There on the diamond incrusted top sat the green diamond that she had been wearing around her neck the past few days. Taking in her appearance his eyes stopped on her face. For a second there in between glances he could have sworn he saw a glint of unease in her eyes. He stopped just short of where she stood talking with her back turned to him.

"Wilhelmina."

He could have sworn he saw her cringe. She turned, her mouth open, finding his eyes.

"Daniel," she said, completely with ease.

By surprise she turned starting to walk away from him. Stunned he followed catching up to her.

"Wilhelmina," he called after her.

"Wilhelmina," He said as she stopped at a table.

"What is it Daniel?" She asked looking at him.

"Your apartment. It's… it's been searched." He sputtered, "The whole place has been turned upside down. Someone was looking for something."

She took in a great big deal of air before answering.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're apartment!" He said, staring at her in disbelief.

"You must be out of your mind. Who would go searching through my apartment? For what?"

He was about to argue back but the tall figure approaching made him stop.

"Cole," He said physically gritting his teeth.

"Daniel."

"I didn't realize you would be here."

Wilhelmina turned holding a champagne glass in her hands.

"Well of course he'd be here. You'd expect me to be here without protection? What if something went wrong?"

He stared at her in disbelief. _Something had gone wrong and he wasn't there! Her apartment had been ransacked! _

"Wilhelmina your apartment!" He began to raise his voice.

"Shh-- keep your voice down!" She said snapping at him.

"I think we should go," Cole said, gesturing his arm out to her. She looked at him for a beat and then took it.

Daniel stood there stunned as they walked away.

~x~

She walked silently, snaking through the crowd, thoughts racing through her mind. Just then as if reading her mind Cole let go of her arm leaving her at the exact opposite corner of the room at the bottom of the stair case. She stopped taking in a deep breath, calming her nerves, she shut her eyes. Opening them she took one big look around the grand room full of editors and assistants. The large room was draped from one side to the other in gold. Gold accents, gold window frames, gold banisters, even gold tables. The rest of the ensemble was red. She spotted the huge red carpet leading in to the ball room. On it stood the countless reporters and gossip magazine writers. She almost wished they would move until her sights fell upon Claire Meade standing directly opposite of her. She smirked lifting the full glass to her lips.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Coles figure reemerge from the room he had just been in. Her eyes shot to the clock emblazoned on the wall then back just in time to see a man in all black take the stage. _Right on time,_ she thought to herself, the glass still at her lips. She took a step back towards the long stair case as he walked up to the microphone

"Welcome all," The man said. The room went quite as a light was directed on him and all others dimmed. She looked dead at him as the light being caught in her diamond flickered on the walls.

"We welcome you here tonight to the Annual Meade Publications Ball." Applause erupted lightly from all corners of the room as the countless flashes of cameras went off from the side of the room.

"To start this off please help me welcome Claire Meade to the stage."

Wilhelmina's heart raced as the woman began to make her way through the crowd. The applause was almost inconceivable as her senses became so highly attuned to every tiny movement. Claire made it to the stage and took over the podium from the man. Opening her mouth to speak the clapping stopped.

"Welco--"

A loud boom shook the room making people topple over. Shouts could be heard from everywhere as a dark cloud of smoke began to incarcerate the room. Then as the screams began to crescendo the sound of herds of footsteps picked up as the entire party immediately began for the wide open doors. Taking her cue Wilhelmina turned pulling up her dress, running up the stares, skipping a step


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

He jumped up from where he had been knocked over as an array of scurrying people rushed past him. The chaos was incalculable making every movement he made against the crowd almost impossible. He jumped, looking over the heads of people, trying to spot her. _What had just happened? In all the disarray he had lost sight of where he had been staring at her across the room. _A flicker of vivid green splashed across the gold walls. Following it with his eyes he found her, far across the room running her way up the stairs. Without thought he began to run towards the staircase, fighting his way through the throngs of people.

* * *

Her breath increased as she made her way three steps at a time up the gigantic staircase. Skipping the last step she made it up the staircase immediately turning right, running faster the she ever had in her life. Down the long hall at the top she spotted another figure running in the direction she was heading. The figure turned abruptly into a room on the left. _The same one she was heading to._ Snaking into the room she dodged the countless tables covered in pots and pans. Looking up she saw a window at the far end of the dark room that was opened, the harsh night air gushing in. She ran to it gasping for air.

"Put this on."

"What?" She said turning her head to see the figure that had been running in front of her hand her something.

"What do I—" She began. Coles hands shot out grabbing the object beginning to unhook the metal buckles. He turned her around hooking the rope around her waist and secured the locks before leaning his head backwards out the window.

"What are you doing?!" She asked as he pulled out something that looked like a gun from his tux pocket. Aiming it upward at the outside top of the window he shot the device. A thin black rope shot straight out of it. The sound of a metal clink was heard as he came back in the window, connecting what appeared to be the same thing he had put on her around him.

"Grab onto me," He said.

"What?!" She yelled in shock not understanding at all what he was doing.

He connected his rope belt to the seemingly thin black rope dangling outside the window.

"Oh no," She said as the concept of what they were about to do hit her.

"Come on."

"No!" She said completely unwilling to back down.

"Wilhelmina!"

Her eyes widened as the tone in his voice had shot through the roof. Looking into his eyes she saw none of the calmness that she had become accustom to but unrelenting urgency.

In that moment he grabbed onto her connecting their two ropes stepping onto the window seal. Her eyes clamped shut as she felt her feet leave the hard surface as the cruel night air swallowed them whole.

* * *

Following the path in which she had gone he rounded the corner of the colossal staircase. He bolted down the hall skidding to a stop in front of the first door on the left. Turning he began to make his way into the room. From all of the glimpses of silverware he figured it was a kitchen as he ran by. _Why would she run to a kitchen? _A cold wind hit him causing him to divert his eyesight to a wide open window in the back corner of the dark room_. _Stopping at the base of the window he looked down. He was at least six stories high. His stomach turned. _No,_ he thought to himself_, she wouldn't. _Looking out the window he grasped that the only way out was down. Through the window. He gulped. His eyes began to cross as the feeling he always got about heights washed over him. In the center of his eye sight a black line began to materialize. Uncrossing his eyes he saw it dangling outside of the window. _A rope. _Following it he recognized that it went all the way to the ground. Pulling all of the nerve he had in himself he took hold of it stepping up to the ledge of the wide window. Standing there in the cold darkness he jumped, feeling the burning on his hands from the rope.

* * *

She could just make out his figure shiloueted against the street they were running on. The ground underneath her feet had changed as she ran further causing her feet to ache.

He turned a corner infront of her just as she called out his name.

"Cole."

"Were almost there," he shouted over his shoulder not even turning to face her.

She picked up the pace wondering just where 'there' was.

* * *

He hit the ground running, his hands still burning from he rope he had slidden down. He ran head first into the night down the dark alleyway directly ahead. Reacing the end he came to a halt. To his left was totaly blindness and on his right he saw the lights of something in the far distance bobbing up and down.

* * *

She gasped heaving for air as they finally stopped down at the end of what appeared to be a green strip. She nearly doubled over as her head began to spin from the intensive running she had just endured. Looking up she saw Cole out of the corner of the eye standing up though clearly breathing heavier then before. He seemed to be staring out into the vast darkness that surrounded tohem, looking for something. Regaining her breath she looked up to see what exctaly what he had been looking at. All around her the light flickered and danced on the dark night water, glistening. Looking back at him she realized he was still stairing at something in the distance.

"I thought you said airport?" She said as her breath retrurned.

His eyes diverted from the water finding hers. They were a calm cool grey flickering from the light reflecting off of the water.

"You really expect to get away unnoticed by airport in New York?" There was a slight laugh in his voice as he spoke.

"Well..." She stammered, "You said airport."

"I never said airport i said plane."

"What?" she turned to him to see his eyes were yet again fixated out on the dark waters.

In that very moment a faint sound emerged over the crash of the waves ahead of them. She whipped her head around as the wind blew her hair out of her face. There across the water was a light. It was bobbing slightly as it neared, then becoming two lights. She stared putting a hand up to her head to keep the now rushing wind out of her eyes. She gasped as the faint murmer of the engine grew louder and she saw the outline of a plane hovering just above the water comming towards them.

"Why is that plane over the water and what is it doing so low?"

Cole turned around completely, "Ever hear of a float plane?"

* * *

Trusting his instinct he averted his path running towards the now nearing lights. He could just make out the edge of a dock in the near distance. On it he spotted black shapes which he supposed to be two people. He ran closer spotting a oncomming crate on the corner of the street. He jumped behind it just as one of the figures did a full 360.

Over the sound of the waves he could barely make out the voices. He strained his ears catching the words 'water... low... plane'. He blinked as a light hit him square in the eye from around the corner of the crate he was huddeling behind. He stared out trying to see what it was. As he looked he spotted a huge object hovering over the water. It was so close to it he almost thought it was sitting on the water. Then he noticed that it was. Edging around the crate he saw that it was what he made out to be as a plane. He moved out further now noticing the figures that were on the dock. With the extra light he realized that one was slightly shorter then the other and in a dress. _Cole and Wilhelmina! _he thought to himself. He began to creep forward as the plane came to a stop amongst the now calmer waves. The two walked up the the plane as the light from inside of it began to glow signaling that the door had been opened. _I have to get on that plane! _In an instant he whipped out his phone dialing Wilhelminas cell number by memory. Putting it to his ear he ran forward staying in the shadows. The phone went to her voicemail as he dialed again. Looking up he saw that she had already begun to rapidly board the small plane. Clicking the send button he hurled the phone at his ear. Her figure dissapeared into the depths of the plane as he ran towards it hitting the call key one last time. Then it hit him. She didn't have her phone. As Cole had said to him earlier that day, 'it had been lost'. Just as he realized he was comming to close Coles figure turned around. He was standing mere yards away sraring directly at the place in which Daniel was standing in the dark. Daniel felt himself hold his breath as his fingers missed the end call key on his phone. Coles figure twerked and began to move to the left, walking away from Daniel, leaving the entrance to the plane wide open. Taking his chance Daniel dashed for the planes open door running in and out of the darkness. Reaching it he jumped in as quitely as possible.

Just then the racing of his heart stopped as he realized he hadnt thought through his plan very carefully._ What if someone was waiting for him on the inside? What if there were killers in there? What if Cole had saw him?_ He opened his eyes from where he stood at the top step of the entrance of the plane. It was completely empty. He jumped in as the sound of footsteps moving behind him grew. Racing throught the small allotment of seats he found what he was looking for. A bathroom. Opening the door he jumped in. Moments later he heard the sound of the heavy door closing followed by the roar of two tiny engines. He was on the plane and safe... for now.

* * *

**A/N... dont own... sorry it took forever. Computer died, went through Hell week, (what we call the opening week of our plays/ musicals) and preformed every thursday-saturday untill 11 at night! woo! ok enough about me. oh and i checked on the distance from where the ballroom was placed and the Hudson River and its about 3 miles... ha Realistic enough for me!!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The plane began to descend shaking her from her sleep. It had been a long night and the dark blue New York horizon had completely disappeared. Adjusting her position in the seat she sat up staring out at the beautiful cerulean blue sky. From the front of the small plane she could just barely make out the ground patterns to the sides. She stood up. While undoing her seat belt she realized that she was still clad in her Marchesa gown from the night before. Turning she headed towards the back of the plane picking up her bags that Cole had previously brought to the plane the night before they had left. Spotting the bathroom in the back of the plane she walked towards it to change. She turned the handle only to find that it was locked. She tried again. Still locked. _Why would the bathroom be locked?_ Stunned she turned around heading back to the front of the aircraft to the cockpit.

"Cole," she said finding him sitting in the co-pilots chair.

He turned taking the large aviation headset he had on off.

"Morning," He said. She couldn't make out his eyes from underneath his dark aviator sunglasses but she sense they were the calm grey she had become accustom to.

"The bathrooms locked."

"Well there's one to your left around the pilots' chair," he said pointing a finger towards a small door on her left, "Your stuff is on the seat in the back." He said taking in her appearance, the dress from the night before.

She held up her bag, "Got it. Thanks," she said walking to the little bathroom to change.

* * *

Daniel sat there crouched in an uncomfortable position on the small sink in the corner of the planes bathroom. His heart rate had jumped.

Someone had come to the door. _What if they knew he was in there? What if they didn't? How long were they going to believe that the door was just locked? Or did they? Were they going to bust the door down? Were they going to kill him?_ He sat there in complete and utter silence listening. The footsteps had gone away. He prayed to God that they would not return.

~x~

As the plane began to descend further he realized that he needed to find a way off without being caught... and fast.

* * *

"Blending in isn't one of your specialties is it?"

She turned just in time to see Cole emerging from the door of the cockpit. She looked down taking in exactly what she was wearing. Wooden soles heels, her red ring that resembled a skull that she had received last year from a benefit honoring Alexander McQueen, and an orange dress which draped over one shoulder clinging to her body everywhere else.

"Not the outfit," he said as if reading her mind. He pointed to her neck. On it sat the green diamond. She had completely overlooked the fact that it was there. She had grown accustomed to its presence.

"You might want to take that off."

"No, i think I'll--" Her words were cut off by a sudden click and then a loud crash. She whipped her head around just as Cole shot out In front of her before she could move. He was moving past her towards the back of the small plane. Towards the locked bathroom. As he got closer he slowed down silently, listening. Then out of nowhere he shot his leg out kicking the door in by its hinges. Wilhelmina was shocked as she rushed over to see what he had found. The bathroom was empty.

* * *

She scanned the place from underneath her sunglasses as people passed through the security lines with no problem. Cole told her he didn't expect to be stopped but just in case they better split up. She turned her head back noticing that she was now the next person in line.

"Morning ma'am," Came the voice of the women behind the desk at the security checkpoint. Wilhelmina pulled out her bag placing it on the catering belt as she walked through the security system, closing her eyes. Just like Cole had predicted she came out clear. The woman smiled at her handing her bag back as Wilhelmina continued walking through the checkpoint just as Cole had said. _Don't make eye contact and wait for me at the bathroom. _She walked quick paced through the piers security point locating the nearest restrooms. She looked up checking that there were no cameras and walked in.

Standing in front of the mirror she scanned the restroom, pretending to fix a strand of hair. From her angle she could see under each of the short stalls. One was occupied. She grabbed at her bag finding what she was looking for as the woman in the stall came out. She waited until the other women had walked out before following her. She caught the door as it began to swing shut. Quickly she scanned the place before pulling out the magnetic 'Out of Order' sign Cole had packed for her in her bag and sticking it on the door. She walked back inside knowing that she was now alone. Cole had said he was about five minutes after her. She stood there, staring into the mirror, letting her thoughts race. Instantly they shot back to the night before.

_Her heart skipped at beat as she saw his figure emerge from a sea of cameras at the entrance of the grand ballroom. She let her eyes linger on him for a moment to long and she could have sworn he had a distressed look painted on his face. Did he know something? She snapped back turning full her attention to the people she was talking to. Then out of nowhere he had found her and was calling her name causing quite a ruckus in the room. She had to avoid being stared at as much as possible. It could detract from the plan. She quickly silenced him. Then he said something she had not expected him to say. He mentioned her apartment saying that it had been ransacked. For a millisecond she had frozen. How could he have known about her apartment already? She and Cole had only just finished adding the final touches to the destroyed masterpiece about thirty minutes prior to the party. Realizing that she had been standing there for a good length of time she turned back to him. _

"_I don't know what you're talking about," she had said. The look in his eyes told her that he wasn't about to give it up that easily. Just then from behind her back she began to make out four sets of shapes with her hands just as Cole had instructed her to do if she got stuck._

"_You're apartment!" Daniel had said. She began to think on her feet as quickly as possible for a way to evade his question till Cole arrived. _

"_You must be out of your mind. Who would go searching through my apartment? For what?" _

_Without warning Daniels glare fixated on something behind her as the warmth of Cole's presence touched her. Quickly he brushed off Daniel getting the two of them out of the sticky situation in time._

_She stood at the bottom of the steps where Cole had led her to. Their plan was running remotely smoothly. The next part was for Cole to set up a distraction. On his person he had a small bomb that he had brought with him. "One that won't kill people," She recalled from him telling her previously. It was to go off at exactly 10 o'clock. Staring up at the clock she realized it was just 9:58. Turning she spotted Cole in exactly the spot he had said he'd been in. Focusing her attention back to the stage with 30 seconds left to go she watched as Claire Meade walked up. 5…4…3…2… as according to plan a loud bomb shook the whole room. She watched for a split second as the people surrounding her fell to the floor. Turning she began to book up the stairs as Cole had said, running for a room at the top on the left._

Wilhelmina opened her eyes realizing that she was still standing in front of the mirror. Then the memory of jumping out the window flooded her mind followed by Cole's voice explaining to her why they had 'ransacked' her apartment.

"_We have to make it look like we were run out of New York to make it less suspicious."_

"_And how are we actually planning on getting out of here without being noticed?"_

_Cole shifted in his seat, "Tonight at the Meade's Annual Ball were going to make our escape." _

"_How?" She said genuinely surprised._

"_With this." Cole turned, searching for something in his grey coat pocket. Looking at it she realized that his whole ensemble was made entirely out of a black and white color scheme. Obviously finding it Cole turned back to her pulling out something small._

"_What is that?"_

"_A bomb," he replied completely casually._

"_A BOMB?!" She questioned, "What are you planning on doing with a bomb!?"_

_His eyes found hers as he calmly placed the small odd figure on the table separating them._

"_It's to set up a disturbance. At precisely 10 o'clock tonight this will detonate causing a small but effective explosion. Only harming the things in a six foot radius around it," He said seemingly reading the look of horror on her face._

_Her face went pale. She looked into his eyes almost shocked to see them completely still and unruffled like he had been talking about sunflowers and daisies._

"_What about the people?" She asked regaining her ability to speak._

_His eyes smiled almost looking like a laugh, "I'm not planning on hurting anybody Willie. This is to cause a commotion to make it so people will be so distracted by it that they won't be focused on us as we make our way quickly out of there unscathed. By the time anyone realizes were gone we'll be on a plane out of here and they'll be left to assume that someone has gone through your apartment causing you to leave town."_

_She stared away from his eyes thinking over what he had said._

"_Wilhelmina trust me, this is a bomb yes, but it's a special one made by the CIA. One that won't kill people."_

_She looked at him again trying to read through the grey eyes. All she could see was sincerity. Slowly she nodded her head as to agree with the plan._

Just then as the memory of previous events faded the door to the women's restrooms opened.

* * *

Daniel shook himself for the third time that minute. His tux was completely soaked from jumping out of the float plane only minutes ago. After jumping he had swam the short distance from where the plane had been resting to the shore. Looking around he wondered where he was. He didn't have any freakin idea.

Now semi dry he stood in line at what looked like to be a security checkpoint for boarding ships. But not just any ships. Cruise ships. With his mind spinning he focused his eyes ahead in the line. At the front was a man. Tall and heavy. He looked like he was slightly hunching. The man behind the desk signaled for him to go through the security check. As he did so the alarm light on the top of the machine turned red. Daniel blinked not believing what he had just seen. In the blink of an eye the alarm had turned back green. The man passed through just as the shorter man behind the counter stepped out. He walked up to him bringing a hand held checker with him. He held it up to the taller man scanning him his head to his feet before turning him around. Daniel could now see the front of the man's face. He was defiantly hunching but there was something else that made him seem even more abnormal. On the man's right arm was a cast. Daniel looked at him wondering how a man that big could injure himself that badly to need a full blown cast. The man who was scanning him seemed to be at a loss and turned the man around again signaling him through. As he exited the piers security center he walked down the dock disappearing to the left.

* * *

Wilhelmina spun around as fast as her shoes would let her. From the cracked open door of the restroom she could just make out the figure of a tall heavy looking man. _What the hell is a man doing in the women's restroom?_ She stared at him as he walked further in.

"Who the hell are you?" she questioned trying to keep the unease out of her voice. The figure continued inching closer. By now she could make out how tall he was even though he was hunching. She looked at the intruders face seeing the same pair of aviators Cole had been wearing previously.

"Cole?" She asked completely unsure.

The figure stopped just in front of her. With one hand he removed his glasses revealing two grey eyes.

"Cole what the hell."

"Did you really expect it to be anyone else?" He asked as if teasing her.

"I don't expect anything anymore." She said looking at him.

He looked at her holding her stare, "Good."

He began to remove his coat that had been slung over his shoulders.

"What's with the cast?" She asked now taking in the full blown cast circling his right arm. He didn't answer but instead removed the piece revealing a perfectly fine and muscular arm. Turning the cast over he placed it on the sink, reaching inside. To her surprise he pulled out a pistol.

"What the--"

He then opened the cast to expose a tiny glowing screen on the inside.

"This creates a field that metal detectors can't distinguish." He said. "It's also good for sneaking things through security points," He said smiling at her face of shock.

* * *

Daniel passed through the security point quickly only receiving an odd look for his damp attire.

"You have a loose board," He said making up an excuse to explain his appearance to the man behind the counter as he looked him up and down. As if with understanding for the odd apparel the man nodded summoning someone over to find the unstable board on the dock. Daniel went through. He had last seen Wilhelmina a good few minutes ago in the opposite line. As he recalled he had not seen Cole so he expected he had already made it through. Walking through the busy pier he tried to spot her again. With no luck he stopped, looking up at the sign reading 'departures/arrivals.' _Where the hell was she planning to go?_

His question was answered as a rush of orange exited the women's bathroom headed towards the docks. His eyes followed her as she began to turn the corner around the bathrooms. He followed noticing that she seemed to be in a rush. No one else on the pier seemed to have noticed. He quickly sped up noticing an 'out of order sign' posted on the bathroom she had just exited. Turning the corner he saw her push her way through the crowd. From his direction she seemed to be heading towards dock 17. Daniel slowed noticing a small line in front of the docks entrance. From his angle he watched as she weaved her way into the line finding someone. A tall man in a blue button down shirt and khaki pants turned letting her stand next to him as she got into line. Daniel immediately recognized the man. Cole.

* * *

**A/N: For Jaz. Smile babe! These chapters take a little more explaning or else you wont understand what happens next! Thanks for the reviews by the way! you guys are awesome!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

It was later as he stared off over the side of the large cruise ship. Daniel stood there, the humid night air whipping at his now dry clothes. He had taken off his tuxedo coat and tie and they were now sitting on the bed of his small room on the third level of the ship. He stared out over the deep blues of the waters crashing underneath him from the top of the boat, seeing nothing but blue for miles.

The events of the day began to unfold in his mind.

_He had chased after her feeling a rush of hatred against Cole as he spotted her running up to him in line. Nevertheless, he quickly obliterated those sudden rising feelings as he darted to make it up to the line. Walking as fast as he could he noticed the sign above the ships entrance. In big bold letters were the words 'Diamond Cruise' embellished on the sign. _

_Making it through the line, he walked up the port boarding the ship. His jaw dropped wide open. The inside of the ship looked even bigger than the outside. Stepping further in he completely forgot he was on a ship. There were not one but two grand marble staircases leading up the second inside level of the main floor. Each staircase swerved in a complete circle on their way to the top with tiny lights outlining them. On the ground floor was masses of different assorted sections of lavish all white chairs. Each seating area was surrounded by tons of exotic plants and one area even had a miniature waterfall separating it from the rest. Daniel looked up in amazement spotting a fancy restaurant on the balcony of the second main floor. He began to walk in realizing that he had been standing in the same spot for a good few minutes. The place was incredible. The gold detailing on everything from the banisters to the floor. Looking at the designs on the floor underneath him he spotted something. From the looks of it it appeared to be a path. Eyeing closer he became aware that the shining path was made by diamonds, small diamonds curving their way around and up both sets of staircases._

Hearing the sound of voices coming up from the stairs, he turned back towards the skyline. A gleam of vivid green shot across the deep Azul night sky. He watched in amazement as the intense color suddenly disappeared.

He heard her before he saw her. He knew she was there by the sudden change in the atmosphere on the top deck of the ship. Though it was late, sightseers had long gone to bed but moon watchers were still out. There was an almost muted silence from behind him immediately followed by a hushed buzzing noise. People were quickly discussing with others next to him the sight they had just seen ascend the stairs. Suddenly he realized the jeopardy he had put himself in coming up to the top of the ship. He did not know whether he could reveal himself to Wilhelmina or not. Or at least yet. Standing there, he tried to blend in into the groups of people outlining he edges of the large ship praying not to be noticed. The talking began to quiet down a little around him. Taking it as a cue, he turned his head ever so slightly to the right. He spotted her alone sitting on one of the many lounge chairs next the large circular fireplace at the front of the ship. Deciding that it was safe he began to make his way around the perimeter of the ships railing towards where she sat on the exact opposite end. With the glistening light of the moon, he could just make out her figure sitting turned away from him in the long chair. He could just make out a curl of her hair falling on her bare shoulder as he inched closer. Then as he was about to reach her he saw a big figure making his way up the stairs. Daniel turned on the spot sitting in the nearest long white chair facing completely the opposite way of the figure_. Cole_, he nearly thought aloud. Cole made his way up the lit staircase to the top deck making his way over to where Wilhelmina sat.

* * *

"Enjoying yourself?"

Wilhelmina nodded keeping her eyes shut where she sat. She had heard him come up the stairs. A breeze picked up carrying a faintly familiar smell with it. Shaking it off she focused on relaxing.

"Wilhelmina," Cole said.

She opened her eyes. He was sat in the seat right next to hers staring at her.

"What?" She said shifting her body to see him better.

"How much do you know about that diamond?" He asked. She looked at him seeing the reflection of the dazzling green against his cool grey eyes.

"Not much. Why?"

"I just got a fax from the people at the agency. Have you ever heard of the French Blue?"

"You mean the diamond that once belonged to King Louis XIV?"

"No. I mean the diamond that was stolen by Jean-Baptiste Tavernier from the Kollur mine in the mid-17th century. The same diamond that was purchased from Tavernier by King Louis XIV of France but was stolen during the French Revolution."

Wilhelmina's eyes widened. She straightened up in her seat now completely absorbed in what Cole was saying.

"It was believed to have reappeared recut as the Wittelsbach Diamond. After the second disappearance the Indian mines were eventually shutdown and the diamond center shifted to Brazil."

"What does that have to do with my diamond? Do you think that's _this_ diamond?" Willie said gesturing towards the rock that encircled her neck.

Coles gaze didn't falter but if possible grew stronger, "In the summer of 2000, Ronald Winston arranged for the Dresden Green, another diamond found in the mines in brazil, to be unveiled in October, 2000, in the Harry Winston Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution, alongside the world's most famous diamond, the Hope. The 40.70-carat Dresden Green is the largest and finest natural green diamond ever found, it has long been considered a "sister" to the Hope Diamond, which it closely matches in size, intensity of color, and historical importance. Friday, October 14th 2000, marked the official public opening of the exhibition."

Wilhelmina sat there speechless.

"The Dresden Green remained at the Smithsonian until January of 2001, until it was returned the Albertinium Museum in Dresden, where it remains to this day. Or is at least thought to remain."

"What do you mean thought to remain?"

"Just last month a report came in about a break in at the Albertinium Museum. In the report it claimed that nothing had been taken but the bullet proof glass around the diamond had been removed as if with ease." Cole shifted forward slightly coming closer to Wilhelmina. "I don't believe someone would break into the Albertinium just for a joy ride."

"What do you believe?" She asked shifting her gaze from one eye to the next.

"I believe during the time the French Blue disappeared and the Dresden Green was brought forth there was a mix up. The old languages that had been used back then as the diamond was being passed from hand to hand must have become faulty and the translation of the color might have changed. I believe that that diamond you are wearing around your neck is The Dresden Green and The French Blue. And that whoever gave it to you didn't own it. They stole it."

* * *

Daniel nearly fell out of his seat. From his position, he had picked up every hushed word Cole had said. _So Connor was once again showing off his master skills at stealing. And for her again, _Daniel thought_, what made her so special that he would keep doing this for her? _Daniels thoughts were interrupted by movements being made. He peaked his head around the reclined chair spying Cole standing up.

Cole's powerful figure began to head towards the entrance of the stairs. Daniel watched as Coles form began to vanish. His attention was turned back to the chair completely opposite of his. Two mocha legs swiveled over the side arm of the chair. They were completely bare. He watched as one foot touched the ground followed by another as her figure rose from the lounged seat. She was wearing nothing but a short silk kaftan. She turned, ensuing the path in which Cole had taken towards the stairs. Daniel watched, mesmerized. The light from the now covered moon shined a purple light on her skin making her seem like she was glistening. As one leg reached the beginning of the stairs he watched as the glimmering of her smooth skin disappeared. _What the hell had he gotten himself into?_

* * *

**A/N: haha and now here comes the fun chapters! Thank you to those who have been reviewing. You dont have to but it is always a boost! Enjoy!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

In the luminous lighting of the room, she finished packing her various belongings back into her bag. She still was not used to sharing her living space with another human being again, especially one as large and flatly masculine as Cole Blackburn. His presence in the other half of the suite was both a lure and an irritant.

Her mind kept wandering trying to figure out exactly where they were escaping. She suspected somewhere guarded, and isolated. Where it would only be her and him. Alone. With no one around. She blinked putting the last of her clothing into her bag. The idea did not strike her as horribly as she wanted it to. She had to admit. She liked knowing that Cole was around. That he was strong. She shook her head not allowing the image of Cole's steamed wet body invade her mind.

Zipping the bag closed she leaned back from where she was bending over the plush bed feeling a soft thud right between her breastbone. She looked down. There on her neck sat the diamond. Subconsciously her fingers went to the edges of it, stroking it. The conversation from the day prior flooded her thoughts. As she gazed down at the large flawlessly green diamond in her hands, the sound of a huge crash came from behind her.

She whipped her head around feeling the diamond thump down on her again. The source of the noise had come from behind the open double door that conjoined Coles and her rooms together. Cole had suggested that they keep it open at all times. She began to walk towards the door. All was quite.

As she entered the section of the suite that was his. Pictures of him walking around the corner completely bare popped into her head. She kicked herself for thinking that. As she did so she noticed an extra light coming from around the corner. She walked towards it spotting that it was shining from underneath a door. Coming up to it she questioned whether or not to open it.

Deciding she held her hand out opening the door.

A quick gush of steam rushed out from the room evaporating as soon as it reached the cooler air leaving a slight mist before her. She walked through. Spotting a marbled white sink in the corner she grasped that it was the bathroom.

"Cole," she said deciding to warn him of her presence if he was in there.

No answer came. She walked on coming to the end of the bathroom. Nothing appeared to have fallen or created the crashing noise in some way. She began to turn, leaving the bathroom until something caught her eye. Written into the steamed glass of the shower was four letters. T, R, A and the beginning of what looked to be either an I or a T. She walked closer examining it. The rest of the letters seemed to have disappeared where the steam had begun to clear making it impossible to read the word. She stepped back looking at the mysterious letters.

* * *

_Cole stepped out of the shower completely soaked. Drying himself off he walked out of the bathroom into his part of the suite grabbing his bag. He had completely forgotten about having company in the room directly across from his. Turning his head, he looked to the left realizing that he was standing in front of the door connecting their rooms naked. Quickly he ran back into the bathroom to grab a towel._

_Reaching the room, he stopped dead in his tracks. Written in the steam of his glass shower was the word 'TRAITOR'. Quickly he scanned the area looking for any sign of an intruder. None, the room was completely empty. Cole grabbed a towel wrapping it around his waist as he slipped out of the bathroom, shutting the door._

_Walking back over to the bed where his bag sat he knew exactly what the message meant. He would have to contact him. Tell him that he didn't know what he was talking about and he had to be quick about it or he would now he had been lying._

_Cole quickly dressed. Pulling the shirt over his head he turned his head spotting Wilhelmina through the entrance of the two doors. Her head rapidly snapped around as she hastily busied herself with something. He smiled to himself knowing exactly what type of affect his body was having on her._

_~x~_

_Making his way to the top of the ship, Cole swiftly located what looked like to be a janitor's closet. He opened it letting himself in._

_Once safely locked inside Cole felt his pocket producing a cell phone in his right hand. He flipped in open. The light from the cell phones screen penetrated the vast darkness of the small closet. He did not turn the light on for he didn't need it. Holding down the 7 key the phone instantly began to ring._

"_Cole." He said as the phone beeped._

"_It's about time you called," came the deep accented voice from the other end._

"_I was held up." Cole said knowing how much it ticked the man off to joke._

"_Where are you right now," The man said as more of a statement rather than a question._

"_Getting closer."_

"_Closer?" The voice from the other end asked. "Closer as in you'll have finished the job in a day or a month Cole."_

"_I told you I've been held up."_

"_Cole," the man said his tone clearly irritated. "I don't have room for mistakes. Your job was to help get her here in one piece."_

_Cole felt himself tighten, "And I shall. You don't trust me?"_

"_No."_

"_Well," Cole said annoyed, "I'll leave her here and you can come get her If you want to do it yourself."_

"_You know I can't do that," Came the voice._

"_So you need me. I think were done questioning my reliability."_

_The man on the other end heaved a great sigh, defeated._

"_Oh and by the way," Cole said, "The next time you plan on sending someone into my area let me know."_

_There was no answer from the other end as the person on the other side hung up._

_Shutting the phone Cole found the door handle in the immense darkness. Reopening the door he squinted the afternoon sun burning his dilated eyes._

_Walking out into the sun he smiled to himself. He was such a convincing liar. He even fooled himself._

* * *

Wilhelmina stood there at the foot of Cole's bed staring at the stack of papers on his desk. She walked over still looking at them. Tucked under the massive pile was cream-colored envelope. She blinked recognizing it.

Walking up to it, she reached for the letter knocking over a few pieces of paper on the top. Written on the front of the envelope was the name 'Wilhelmina' in perfect cursive. She ripped it open.

Seeing the similar writing, she read it aloud to herself.

"Wilhelmina, do not trust anyone. I know you are very good at being protective of…"

Her sentence was cut off as she heard the front door to the rooms locks spring to life. Turning she quickly stored Connors letter in the band of her skirt behind her back.

Through the door came the tall muscular figure of Cole.

"Wilhelmina," He said spotting her. His eyes shifted from her frozen figure to the stack of papers to the various papers scattered on the floor. "What are you doing?"

Wilhelmina stood there completely frozen, she had to think fast. Quickly she calmed her body tapping into her 'Work Wilhelmina' self.

"I was coming to ask where you had put my black dress; I was planning on going to the restaurant for dinner."

Cole nodded, "It should be hanging in the closet."

Wilhelmina nodded moving backwards heading towards the door back to her room. She kept her gaze locked with Coles never turning as to not let him see the letter concealed behind her back.

Once back at the door she reached behind her grabbing the letter, as she did so she turned shutting the door behind her. She took in a deep breath of air closing her eyes, _that was close._

* * *

Daniel sat there at his table admiring the décor of the restaurant La Reve. It was a place he could totally see himself enjoying. Except for the fact that at that very moment he looked up. There underneath the huge diamond chandelier was Wilhelmina. The lighting in the room hit her illuminating the diamond on her neck. It glowed green casting a vivid shadow over the gold walls. She walked into the restaurant. Daniel gulped. He had to go, she still didn't know of his presence and he wasn't sure he wanted her to. Daniel signaled over a waiter.

The man could go fast enough. Daniel watched as Wilhelmina took a seat at a table not too far from his. All the eyes in the room were glued on her and her glistening diamond. Reaching for his glass, he realized that she was alone. _No Cole? _Daniel turned his head scanning the room for any sight of him. _Nothing. Maybe she was alone._ He took a chance and looked at her.

She was sat there looking at the menu that had been placed in front of her. If he didn't know better he would say that she was intensely reading it. But something was wrong. Something in her eyes looked off. Daniel stared noticing that she had a slightly glazed look covering them as if she was troubled.

Cutting off his train of thought the waiter came back.

"Your check," Daniel turned to the man signaling for him to stop talking, "Mr. Meade?"

He closed his eyes hoping she was far enough away to not have heard. Daniel stood up taking the check as he quickly headed for the exit.

"Daniel?"

His heart beat stopped as he froze dead in his tracks. He turned seeing that her eyes had popped up from where they had been attached to her menu.

"What the hell are you doing here?

He walked closer trying to think of an excuse.

"Uh.. I'm," Nothing.

Her eyes narrowed as the shock washed off her face.

He decided to go for the truth knowing that she would make it come out somehow, "I followed you here."

"How?" She said, her eyes widening.

"From the ball to the plane to here."

She gasped. Realizing that the room had gone quiet and every eye was on them she stopped talking motioning for a waiter to come over.

"We are going to need a private table."

~x~

Daniel sat down watching as she tipped the waiter for the table in the back. She was turned from him. As she turned back he realized that the dress she was wearing was completely nonexistent from right underneath the top of her ribcage wrapping around her back. With every step she took he could see her skin glisten where the fabric was not. She came close sitting at the other end of the table, her hair falling down on her shoulders as she did so.

"Care to explain why in the hell you thought it was ok to follow me?"

Daniel gulped. Her blue eyes stared through him. Every time she breathed, a glint of green would reflect in her eyes from the diamond.

"I told you from the beginning, I don't like Cole."

"Though it was your idea to hire him."

Daniel looked away not keeping her gaze.

"That still doesn't answer why you followed me? Wait how did you get onto the plane without me noticing?" Her eyes shifted looking at him with the tiniest sign of interest in them.

"I hid in the bathroom."

Her eyes flashed, opening only slightly wider in amusement.

"And you're telling me you did this because you didn't like Cole?"

He looked up instantly regretting it. His eyes met hers. Her eyes looked through him as she raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," He said looking down once again, "I don't trust him."

She moved ever so slightly but he caught the look in her eyes as he said the words 'don't trust.'

"What?" He asked.

"What?"

"What was that?"

"What was what," she said immediately getting on the defensive.

"You shifted when I said I don't trust Cole. Speaking of Cole where is he?"

She looked down pretending to be completely interested in her napkin, "He's not coming."

"Why?"

She kept on fiddling with her napkin not daring to look at him. He looked up at her trying to catch her eye, he wasn't going to have it, she would speak. He shot his hand out covering hers, making her stop playing with the napkins. She looked up at him a look of pure shock on her face.

"Why?" He asked again.

She looked into his eyes and sighed.

"He's been acting strangely."

"Oh like just a week ago you met and now he's convinced you to run away with him strange?"

She looked at him with no humor in her eyes.

"No, he had his reasons for that."

"Oh really what?"

"Daniel I was attacked."

He froze not knowing what to say.

"And you weren't there to protect me so don't even bother trying to use that excuse for being here."

"But you said he was acting strange?"

She shifted again, the anger that was in her eyes fading again.

"I… He told me about my diamond last night. And how he thinks it--"

"Was stolen," he answered for her. Her eyes widened.

"How did--"

"I heard you last night."

A silent understanding hit Wilhelmina as she sat there realizing that Daniel knew just about everything so there was not any reason not to tell him the rest.

"I also found this."

Daniel watched as she pulled out a white paper from the cut out in her dress.

"What else are you keeping in there?"

Daniel stifled his laugh as no smiled showed up on her face. She let out a shaky breath handing the note to him. He instantly recognized the handwriting as he read the note.

"Why would he keep that from me?" she said as Daniel finished the note.

"Because you can't trust him."

"Daniel," She said warningly.

"What? The note even said so."

She sighed looking at him."

"Look go back to your room and watch him. I am in room 2013A. Call me if you need anything."

She nodded knowing that there was no use arguing as Daniel signaled for a waiter. She wanted to find out what Cole was up to.

Taking the note, she folded it in half tucking it back in the skirt part of her dress.

He watched as she stood up smoothing her dress and beginning to walk away. As she turned he noticed something he had never seen before. At the edge of the slit where the fabric didn't cover on her back a slight black curve poked out on her skin. He blinked trying to spot it again as the waiter came up blocking his view.

"Your check Mr. Meade?"

* * *

She walked into her dark room turning on a lamp. It was dead silent. Walking around to her bed she spotted the door that connected the two rooms together. Heading towards it she noticed Coles room was completely empty. She had only been gone thirty minutes from the allotted hour she had told him. Deciding that he wasn't expecting her and had decided to go out she walked into his room flicking on the lights. Sitting on the desk next to his bed was a computer. She walked over to it shaking the mouse. As it popped back to life she caught a glimpse of a file before the screen went dark asking her for a password. She sat down on the edge of the bed feeling the diamond around her neck move with her. Looking down at it she pondered what password he would use. Then getting an idea she began to type. She stopped herself before pushing 'enter'. _What would happen if she got it wrong? _Just as she decided against it a noise pierced the silence in the room. Turning her head she heard it again. It was a muffled buzzing. Almost as if whatever was buzzing was set on something that was making it louder. The noise came again and she stood up following the sound. Turning she spotted a wooden desk on the other side of the room. She walked over to it. The noise came again, from inside the desk. She held her hand out to open it. It was locked.

* * *

**A/N: To understand the dress shes wearing i suggest searching up meade_slater on google (its called oysters and pyromania!). Ill put a picture there soon! and if your not apart of it!... You'd better join!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Opening her eyes, she peered over the top of the monogramed white sheets. In the other room Cole was sitting, back turned to her, typing something on his computer. She shifted slightly trying to get a better view of the screen. At that moment the phone in her room rang. Immediately she closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

---

Cole looked up from where he was sitting at the computer. Seeing that she was asleep, he walked over into her room picking up the telephone.

---

Wilhelmina laid there motionless. She had her eyes closed tightly. Realizing that she was holding her breath, she exhaled trying to make it sound as 'sleep-like' as possible. She sensed Cole behind her staring at her. She rolled on to her side as she heard him speak.

"No I'm sorry she's asleep. Yes. Yes. Thank you." He hung up the phone making it click as it disconnected. She sensed him watching her. Suddenly her mind flickered. _Where was the diamond!? _She remained still, trying to be as calm as possible. She didn't move until she heard him walk the other way.

* * *

Daniel sat there on his bed gazing out at the glistening sea through his window. _Where the heck were they going? _He looked to his right catching a glimpse of the clock. 12:37. He sat up, the sun now gleaming through the small window. Getting up he located his shirt and tuxedo pants. Sighing he put them on_. He needed a new set of clothes._

~x~

"Mr. Meade."

Daniel quickly glanced over the main floor looking to see if Cole was anywhere around. Seeing no trace of him he turned locating the voice that had called him. A blonde woman behind a counter motioned to him.

"Mr. Meade, a message was left for you."

"For me?" he asked coming closer.

"Yes, from a woman."

Instantly understanding he looked at the woman, "Oh, tell me."

The woman smiled producing a small piece of paper from underneath her desk. She handed it to him.

"Oh and one more thing," She said still smiling. Out from underneath her desk she pulled out a plastic laundry bag with the words 'Diamond Cruise' imprinted in gold on it. He took it not knowing what it was.

"Thank you, Pam," He said reading her nameplate.

The woman nodded as he walked off.

~x~

Sitting back down on the edge of his bed, he took out her letter, setting the bag down.

**We are getting off at the next stop. I don't know anything on Cole yet, except that he has something in his desk. Obviously something he didn't want me to see because the desk was locked. I shall call you.**

**P.S. I figured you didn't have a change of clothes.**

He reread the letter memorizing the curves of her writing. Then looking down on his left he picked up the bag placing it in his lap. Opening it he spilled the continence out onto the bed. A light purple button down shirt followed by a dark pair of jeans hit the bed. He stared at the clothing instantly recognizing that she had probably taken them from Cole. Taking off his now dirty shirt, he replaced it with the purple one. It was bigger so it hung loose on him. Picking up the jeans, he switched pants. Subconsciously he began to tuck the loose shirt into the jeans. He turned looking into the mirror. He untucked the shirt, unbuttoning the top two buttons as he did.

* * *

Picking up her bag she had the feeling she was being watched. Turning she spotted Cole standing in the opposite room. He was lifting something. As he did so she saw his muscles flex underneath his shirt. _Lord was he strong. Alarmingly strong. _She silently said a prayer that she wouldn't have to cross him anytime soon.

* * *

Standing at the entrance of the ship the warm sun hit him as he looked in amazement. The skies were an amazing blue as they hit the crystal clear waters. He turned his head seeing the vast lush green tropics beyond. Making his way down off the ship he inhaled as the heat from the sun hit him.

"Excuse me," He said spotting the same woman who had delivered Wilhelmina's note to him earlier. "Pam?"

The blonde woman turned looking at him.

"Where are we exactly?"

"The Port of Rio De Janeiro," she answered smiling, "Welcome to Rio!"

* * *

Wilhelmina turned fanning herself with her hands. The heat from outside was excruciating. She curved looking back outside the cabs window out at the white sanded beaches. The water looked so inviting.

"Hot?"

She rotated her head back seeing Cole stare at her.

"Just a little."

He smiled clearly not being affected by the heat as much as she was, as he turned on the air-conditioning.

"Where are we going?" She said, instantly feeling better.

"To a place to stay for the night." He responded.

"Where?"

"The Copacabana Palace Hotel."

* * *

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He set down the clothes in his hands as he phished it out.

"Hello?"

"We're at the Copacabana Palace Hotel, room 1301."

"Ok," He said, "Are you ok?"

"Yes," came her voice from the other end, "I have to go."

"Ok, oh and thank you for the clothes."

Daniel heard a pause on the other end of the phone.

"You're welcome."

The phone clicked as the connection died. He placed it on the counter as he purchased his new clothes.

Walking out of the store, he put his new sunglasses on and began walking down the street.

~x~

Getting out of the cab, he looked up taking in the grand Hotel in the sunlight. It was huge. He walked in.

* * *

Wilhelmina stood on the balcony of the room admiring the view from her window. It was incredibly breath taking looking over all of the buildings and various beaches from where she stood. A sudden tropic breeze hit her causing her shirt to flutter in the waft. She moved her hands up fastening the silk knot she had tied on her shoulder keeping it held together.

Turning back into the room, she spotted Cole through the white chiffon curtains. He seemed to be studying something in his hands. He turned looking at her.

"You ready?" he said.

"For what?"

Cole held up the map in his hands showing it to her. She took it. It was a map of Copacabana beach.

"What?" She asked confused.

"I packed your swimsuits, there in your bag."

"What are we doing?"

"Enjoying where we are."

* * *

Daniel walked down the strip of beach his shirt completely open, watching vibrant exotic colors and tanned bodies walk past. It was almost like inspiration for a cover. His train of thought suddenly detoured going back to Mode. It had been three days since anyone had last seen him. He wondered if he should call and tell Betty that he was alive and ok. He looked out at the waves crashing on the white sand. Betty would have to wait.

* * *

Wilhelmina quickly showered getting the loose sand out of her hair. She had spent the whole of the day down at the beach. Cole had paid for them to be able to go snorkeling. It was something she had always wanted to do but the thought of being underwater with only a little mask to save your life and by someone that you don't particularly trust didn't appeal to her. On her third attempt to say no Cole thrust the mask at her not even listening as she rebuked it.

Stepping out of the shower she let her hair down wrapping a towel around her now slightly tanned body. Opening the door she smiled to herself. The rooms that had conjoining doors were all booked so she had a room to herself. Walking out into the room she heard the telephone ring,

"Yes," She said into the receiver.

"Wilhelmina?"

"It's me Daniel." She answered.

"Are you alone?"

"Yes."

She dropped the towel that was covering her body grabbing a silk kaftan out of the bag.

"Did you find anything out?" He asked.

"What room are you in?"

"4065. Why?"

"I'm coming up."

* * *

A knock came at his door. Quickly pulling on an unbuttoned blue shirt he fixed his hair walking towards the door. There outside of his door was Wilhelmina. He gulped. She was wearing nothing but a silk zebra stripped dress that came down only to her thighs.

"Are you going to let me in?"

Daniel nodded trying to look into her eyes. Her hair was loosely curled around her face. She seemed to be glowing. She walked in as he shut his door behind her.

"So what do you know?" He said, trying not to stare at her legs.

"Do you have something to eat?"

He cleared his throat not expecting her to say that. "Uh yea."

"Good," she said turning away from him. "I'll be out here."

He watched her as she walked out towards the transparent white curtains that were leisurely flowing with each breeze.

* * *

She stood there staring out from the balcony at the city at night. It was nothing like New York. There was no traffic backed up for blocks, no people rushing to get from place to place. Everything seemed relaxed. She inhaled taking in the sweet night air.

Hearing something clink behind her she turned.

"Daniel," she said looking through the curtains.

"Do you want a drink with food?"

"Drink first."

Daniel looked up at her a small smile forming on his lips as he set down the plates he had brought for them and brought two glasses with him.

"For you," He said handing her one.

She took it taking a big drink. Shifting her gaze she looked up at the moon that was reflecting a purple glare on everything.

"Where's the diamond?" He said.

She put her hand down the opening of her shirt grabbing the chain the diamond rested on.

"Here."

Daniel took a drink trying to focus only on the diamond and not her half-undone shirt.

The movement didn't go unnoticed by Wilhelmina. Setting the diamond down she turned facing him.

"What are you looking at?"

"The diamond," He said looking down.

"No you weren't."

"Yes I was," Clearing his throat he set down his glass, "What do you know about Cole?"

"I know that he's out for a few hours."

Daniel nodded trying to keep his mind on Cole, "And?"

"Daniel I don't want to talk about this now"

He took a chance and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She was looking off over the edge of the balcony down at the warm beaches below.

"Right, what do you want to do?"

She closed her eyes breathing in the warm night air, "I want to get this off of my mind. I want to forget."

He turned facing her seeing her with her eyes still closed. He reached for her doing the only thing that he knew. Pulling her in he kissed her.

* * *

**A/N: For my girl K! (So that you wont be sad!)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The sultry morning light poured in through the windows as the breeze blew the white curtains lightly. Daniel turned in the bed. As he did he stopped, feeling something move next to him. He opened his eyes to see Wilhelmina's back facing him. The sheet that was covering the both of them had moved only slightly covering her, draping at her hips. He stared at her completely mesmerized. She was beautiful, following the trace of her back he spotted something curved and black that was completely covered by the white sheet wrapping around her. Without moving her he pulled at the thin sheet ever so slightly. He stared in amazement. There placed directly on her lower back was a black flower. He gaped, shocked for a moment at the realization._ Wilhelmina Slater has a tramp stamp!? _

Being too busy memorizing the image he didn't notice her turning.

"What are you doing?"

Daniel looked up meeting her half asleep eyes, "What is this?"

Wilhelmina blinked shaking the sleep from her eyes, she followed his spotting what he was staring at.

"Oh, that."

"Yeah that," Daniel said, still staring at her lower back, "When did you do that?"

She rolled back over on her side, comfortably sliding down into the warm sheets.

"When I was younger."

Daniel moved bringing his head down to her lower back. He kissed her tracing the tattoo with his tongue. She smiled as he moved back up her body kissing her neck.

"What time is it?" She asked now feeling the sun pouring lightly through the windows.

"Does it matter?" She heard him say as he nibbled at her ear.

"Yes."

He looked up stopping momentarily reading the clock. "7:30."

Her eyes burst open, sitting straight up she reread the clock to herself. She stood up wrapping the sheet around her.

"What are you--" he said watching as she rapidly began to walk out to the balcony. She returned bringing the clothes that had been discarded in the heat of the night before.

"I have to go."

* * *

Marc walked up to Wilhelmina's front door with six men in tail. Reaching the door he stopped rounding on the men with yellow letters spelling 'NYPD' on their shirts.

"This is her apartment."

None of them said a thing. He turned back, inserting a key into her lock.

"Willie?"

Marc stood agape as the door swung open revealing her apartment completely trashed.

"Oh my God."

* * *

Sprinting she pulled out her room key praying that Cole hadn't noticed she had been gone. Opening the door she bolted inside her room to find it completely in order of the way she had left it. She exhaled closing her eyes. _Thank God. _Just as she calmed herself the sound of footsteps stopping outside her door alarmed her. She gasped as the sound of a key being inserted into the lock was to be heard. Running as quickly as she possibly could she jumped onto the bed landing on her knees beginning to rip at the covers. She tossed and kicked the pillows that she had stuffed under her sheets to look like she was in her bed. Exactly as the covers made it over her head the door opened.

A figure stopped behind her at the edge of the bed. Just as she wanted to scream a hand touched her shoulder, shaking her gently.

"Wilhelmina."

She blinked not understanding. The person shook her again a little harder as if obviously trying to wake her.

"Wilhelmina," The man's voice said again.

She turned onto her side as Coles figure emerged in her vision.

"Morning." He said.

"Uh… Morning," she replied, not exactly sure what to think of the whole situation.

She watched as he began to walk around the bed opening the shut windows to her room. The light flooded in as the sound of waves could be heard crashing on the shores.

"You sleep well."

She nodded completely at a loss.

"Great well we have a busy day."

* * *

"Oh my God!"

Marc turned his head looking up to see his blonde friend Amanda at the door of Wilhelmina's apartment.

"Mandy."

"Oh my God!" She jumped spotting Marc in his position on the ground in front of the door.

"Mandy would you stop yelling?"

She crouched down kneeling next to Marc, "What happened?"

He shook his head, "They say from the looks of it that she's been missing for three days."

"Wait three days?"

He nodded staring out directly in front of him.

"That means she's been missing since the Ball!"

He looked at her is eyes widening. "I hope she's ok."

* * *

The greenish-blue sea crashed as Wilhelmina found herself once again on the beach. The warm sun kissed her skin as her thoughts began to drift back to last night with Daniel. Out of nowhere he had kissed her, it had been a complete shock to her. Normally she had always been the one to make the first move. Her body had tensed and he broke off from her. Then it was her turn to take him by surprise. She reached out, wrapping her hands around his neck, kissing him harder.

"Time to go."

Cole's words surprised her shaking her out of her memory. She opened her eyes realizing that they had been shut. She spotted him, standing in front of her, holding his hand out.

* * *

Amanda's head shot up, "Have you called her?"

Marc nodded, "That's why I'm here. She never answered her phone. My calls kept going straight to voicemail."

"Wait, you're saying that she never picked up?"

"That's exactly what I just said."

The girls' eyes widened, "Maybe she doesn't want to be found."

Marc snorted. "Mandy, now you're jumping to conclusions."

"No no, you remember when my phone was 'lost'," She said, making air quotes, "Well it turns out that one of the janitors stole it and set it so that every time anyone called it, it would go to voice mail."

"Yea that's great Mandy but…" He said still pacing across the floor of

Wilhelmina's disordered apartment.

"But nothing, I'm not finished." Marc stopped his pacing staring at her. She cleared her throat. "Because of it not picking up I assumed it was lost in my purse so I called the people that send me the bills for my phone and asked them to track it."

Marc's eyes lit up. "And?"

"And that's exactly how we can find Wilhelmina's. If you find her phone you find her."

* * *

She walked inside her room stripping off her clothes as she went. Cole had briefly told her of the plan for that night. She hadn't picked up much of what he had said with her mind being elsewhere, something about Cordẵo do Bola Preta. _What the hell was Cordẵo do Bola Preta? _She dressed quickly, keeping on her pair of white pants, she picked up the telephone.

"Daniel?"

"Yes." His voice came almost nonexistent over the phone.

"Daniel are you there?" She said rummaging through her bag with her spare hand.

"I'm here. Are you ok? Do you need something?"

"Daniel I'm fine."

She heard him let out of breath, the urgency in his voice fading.

"Listen," She said pulling a black top over her head, "Cole and I are going to something called Cordẵo do Bola Preta and--" She stopped hearing him laugh on the other end.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," He said, "You just sound sexy with an accent."

"Shut up," She said as a slight smirk formed on her face. "Anyway as I was saying, we're going and… I want you there." She bit her lip while strapping the shoes she was wearing.

"You want me there?" He asked.

"Yes, we're going and I don't trust him so I want you."

"Is that the only reason."

"Yes Daniel," She said, her tone implying that she was done talking about it.

He took in a deep breath, "Fine tattoo girl."

She slammed the phone down ending the conversation. She stared straight from where she was sitting on her bed. The white transparent curtains of her room were blowing in the breeze. She smiled.

* * *

"Marc before you can find her phone you're gonna have to know the phones locating number."

Marc turned looking at his blonde friend, a smirk on his face. "Oh please, you think Wilhelmina Slater even touches the letters that the phone company sends? No, she leaves that lovely job for me. That and licking the envelopes. "

"So you're saying that you open the letters and seal them?"

"Mandy that's exactly what I just said."

"Oh…" She said, "So what does that mean?"

"It means I know her number." Marc pulled out an old folded letter off of Wilhelmina's counter, dialing.

* * *

The lights blinded him as he looked over the crowds of people all crammed together. There had to be over 500,000 people in the stands. He looked up trying to spot Wilhelmina. She hadn't told him where she would be other the fact that she would be there. He turned his head as the crowd began to roar. Daniel was quickly swept aside by the movements of hundreds of tanned people all rushing into the stands. Losing his balance he nearly fell. Looking up all he saw was hundreds of people jumping up and down, sparklers in hand, cheering for something. _What the hell was Cordẵo do Bola Preta?_

* * *

"What?"

"It's the biggest parade of the year here. Thousands of people come from all over the world and celebrate here for one day."

"Oh," Wilhelmina said. They were standing at the top of the stands looking down at what seemed to be the biggest mosh pit ever. There were people, teenagers, with colorful looking drinks in their hands. She could have sworn she saw a thong shoot over the multitude from down below. Then looking down she spotted Daniel. She jumped waving her hand slightly to get his attention over the mass of people.

"You ok?" Cole said facing her.

"uh.." She answered looking at him, "Yeah, just uh.." he looked at her with an odd expression on his face.

"Excited." She said.

"Oh," He said, "Well don't use all of your excitement just yet. The floats haven't even come out. "

She put on a fake smile as Cole turned back clapping his hands to the music that was blaring from some speaker somewhere overhead.

She looked back down to where she had last seen Daniel. He wasn't there. Her eyes darted from throngs of people trying to spot him. Then, in the middle of the stands, she saw him making his way up. She stared at him trying to catch his attention to signal him to stop.

* * *

"You got it yet?"

"Mandy if you ask me that one more time I swear ill not let you come on my next Jake Gyllenhaal quest."

She gasped staring at him.

"Ah," He said.

"What?"

"This is the right one." He dialed putting the phone to his ear. "It's going."

Amanda looked at him her eyes wide.

"What?" She asked as his face turned.

"What the heck?"

"What Marc?!" she said jumping up.

"What the heck is she doing in Brazil!?"

* * *

**A/N: Ah dont you just love waiting for updates! haha enjoy!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Something in his pocket buzzed. Turning his head, he checked to see if she had noticed. _No, her head was turned the other way. _

"I'll be right back," He whispered into her ear.

Cole walked down the stands. When he was out of her range, he pulled out the buzzing phone in his pocket.

_**(2) Missed calls from Marc St. James**_

He quickly turned Wilhelmina's phone off, shoving it back inside his dark pocket. He had forgotten that he had put it there after moving it from its position locked safely inside the desk drawer on the boat. Then out of the corner of his eye he spotted a black blur against the crowd of half-dressed tanned bodies and bright colors. He turned quickly spotting a man in an all-black suit looking directly at him. The man held his gaze for a second then turned beginning to walk away through the crowd. Cole turned looking up to check to see if Wilhelmina had noticed before following after the man.

* * *

"Daniel!" She said, seeing him make it up to where she was standing.

"Hey," He said slightly out of breath.

"What the hell Daniel? If Cole hadn't have just walked away he would have seen you." She yelled over the loud roar of the crowd.

"I'm sorry," He said now standing next to her, "But you waved for me."

"Yes, to let you know where I am!"

He looked out over the crowd watching as people began to jump up and down.

"Come with me."

She turned her head from where she was looking, "What?"

Facing him, she saw that his hand was extended waiting for her to take it.

"Come on."

"Daniel I cant. What if Cole--" She began.

"We'll only be gone for a minute."

* * *

The man turned a corner behind a rather large rock as Cole followed three steps behind him. Then, once completely out of sight the man stopped, turning.

"Cole Blackburn."

"Yes," He responded not able to make out the man's eyes behind his glasses.

Suddenly the man reached into his left coat pocket pulling out a piece of paper. Cole took the paper opening it.

"What?"

"Call the number."

Cole stared at the man in front of him and nodded. The man didn't respond but merely looked at him before walking away.

* * *

The deep blue waves crashed as she avoided getting her feet wet.

"What time is it?" She said staring at Daniel walking in the light water along the shore.

He pulled his hand out of his shorts pocket checking the watch.

"Midnight."

"I have to get back," She said tightening the grip on the shoes in her hands beginning to turn.

"Wait. Why?" He said reaching out to stop her.

"Daniel what if Cole gets back before I am?"

"Just tell him you went to the bathroom."

"And what if he sends out a search party for me? You know I am carrying a priceless diamond around my neck."

"You didn't seem to mind if he went looking for you last night." He said, a small grin forming on his mouth.

A breeze stirred vaguely, bringing the scent of the sea.

She looked at him taking note of how close their bodies were getting once again, his hand still on her elbow where he was holding her.

"That was different. I knew he wasn't going to come looking for me. Now I'm not certain." She said unconsciously inching closer to his warmth.

"Let him." With that her eyes shut lightly as she felt his lips brush against hers. She made a tiny sound as the tip of his tongue slowly traced the sensitive skin at the edge of her upper lip. Slowly her body relaxed and softened, lifting subtly toward him, wanting more. He repeated his gentle actions, tracing her whole mouth, enjoying her taste with an in intensity that surprised him.

He continued to taste her until he felt her lips against his, deepening the kiss as she pulled him into the shadowed part of the beach.

* * *

"What the hell?"

"I see you've gotten the message." The voice on the other side of the phone said,

"Why did you send me here?" Cole asked, remembering the words that had been carved into a very large rock at the shore spelling out 'Cordão do Bola Preta'. "Where are you?"

"I'm afraid I'm not in Brazil. I just had to make sure you would do as I say. Can't be to careful now can we."

Cole began to steam as he felt the heat rising in his voice.

"So you sent me here saying that you would be here as a test?"

"No I sent you there as the first stop. I never said I would be there."

"Connor!" Cole said, yelling out of frustration.

"Don't use my name!" Connor yelled back over the phone. "I sent you there first because I couldn't take the risk of having anyone know where I was."

Cole fumed, feeling his grip on the small device in his hands grow stronger.

"Take the tickets and be on the flight first thing tomorrow morning."

"What tickets?" Cole heard himself yell as he steadily tried to calm down.

"There should be two attached to your letter."

"Why? Why couldn't you have ended it here?"

There was a pause on the other side of the phone, "Be on the plane first thing tomorrow morning and I shall explain when you get here."

With that the line went dead. Cole flipped over the note finding, exactly as Connor had said, two plane tickets taped to the note. He pulled them off thinking to himself. He knew Connor better then he though, after all he was his brother, he should have known that he would not have told him where he was right off the bat. The only person he had ever really trusted was the one Cole was pretending to help. Now he needed to find a new way to get his hands on the diamond.

* * *

She broke the kiss turning her head to the side from where she was pinned to the palm tree.

"What," He said breathless.

Her eyes shifted from side to side trying to look through the shadows.

Deciding that it was nothing he began to plant kisses along her jawbone and down her neck. Involuntarily she felt her hand grab his hair, pulling him closer. Then she heard the rustle again.

She pushed him off as Daniel moved away hearing the noise to.

"What was--"

She silenced him putting a finger to his lips. They looked through the dense surroundings trying to locate the source of the noise. Hearing nothing Wilhelmina moved.

"What are you doing!?" Daniel whispered, pushing her back into the tree.

"Leaving."

"Don't you think it would be better to stay in one place?" He said worried.

"Daniel if someone is over there," She said just as hushed, "Then I don't want to stay right here where they can find me."

She moved, pushing past him. He turned trying to follow her with the limited light provided by the moon. He wasn't so sure.

* * *

**A/N: Just wanted to reinforce... Dont own anything!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

It was darker then he had thought as he made his way through the dense trees to the opening. There was something bugging him but he couldn't tell what. Making his way to the clearing he looked out seeing Wilhelmina a few feet ahead of him. At the muffled rustling, he turned grabbing her and pushing her into a shaded tree.

She gasped at the shock of being taken. Pinned against the tree she tried to regain her breath under his crushing body weight.

"Daniel what the hell?"

He looked down at her squirming figure and pushed harder getting her to stop.

"Sssh." He said, his breath hot on her skin.

She stopped moving hearing something. She looked up spotting his eyes in the darkness. Seeing them she realized that this was not like before. He wasn't just holding her there to brace them but now it was to protect her.

"You wait here. I'm going to go out first. If its clear ill signal you to follow me." He looked down at her under him.

"Daniel what?"

"Wait here." He glanced at her for a moment holding her gaze. Then checking the clearing he moved off of her.

She stood there completely breathless, immobilized. Watching she could just see him walk out of the protection of the shadows. Emerging on the other side she held her breath waiting. He began to walk further into the open night, the moon shining down on him. Then as he reached the sand two black arms jumped out of the darkness behind him.

"DANIEL!"

He spun as the arms collided with his side. She began to move as another figure jumped out of the shadows to her left.

He hit the ground as a heavy blow hit him in the rib cage. Gasping he inhaled taking in sand in his half breaths. Flashing open his eyes he spotted a hand coming down near to his face. Rolling he avoided it, tripping the man standing over him. He stood up grabbing sand in his right hand as he did. The figure next to him sauntered finding his feet. Daniel braced himself, aiming his body towards him. He lifted his arm trying to locate a place to throw the sand into the attackers eye. At that moment arms came from behind him, locking him in a choke hold. He kicked, trying to make contact with the body behind him. He swung once as the arm tightened around his neck causing his air supply to stop. Gasping for air, he tried to breathe. No air would come. He began to lose all feeling in his legs as he felt his body shut down. Then, as his eyes began to shut he heard the man behind him scream. The arm securing him loosened. Maneuvering his arm Daniel swung it behind him, throwing the sand into the man's eyes. The man released him. Spining on his feet Daniel turned connecting his elbow with the man's jaw. The man screamed then suddenly fell at his feet. Daniel looked up stunned. There behind him stood Wilhelmina. He looked at her, the moon light illuminating the large wooden stick she had grasped in her hands.

"Duck!" He yelled. From behind her a man came up grabbing her by her arms, causing the stick to fall. She screamed as her feet left the ground. Daniel looked down noticing the rope hooked to the belt of the man lying in front of him. Grabbing it he began to run for the man now holding Wilhelmina.

Daniel jumped, unraveling the rope as he did so, flinging it over the man's neck. Feeling a tug he pulled at the rope. The man gasped, dropping Wilhelmina, trying to pry at the rope around his neck. Daniel pulled harder, tightening the cords, making the man topple. Daniel fell forwards on top of the big figure. It squirmed, fighting for air, its face buried in the sand. Daniel pulled tighter, his knuckles turning white. Then out of nowhere, the man's movements stopped. Daniel let go of the rope.

Turning to his left, he got off the motionless figure, searching the night for any signs of others. Seeing none he stopped. A sharp intake of breath on his right was a piercing sound that broke the now still air. _Wilhelmina._

He ran to his right, spotting her figure lying motionless on the sand.

"Wilhelmina!?"

There was no movement. He ran, sliding in the sand as he reached her.

"Wilhelmina!"

She suddenly turned from her position on the ground swinging her arm at his face. He backed up catching her arm.

"Wilhelmina, its me." He said, heaving.

She looked up at him, heaving a shaky breath, trying to sit up.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," She said, quietly. "just a few cuts."

She looked down, spotting her hand in his, resting on his leg.

"Oh my God! Are you ok?"

Daniel looked down, spotting the now gushing wound on his leg through his completely torn pant.

"I'm fine."

She took another look at his leg, removing her hand from his, moving it to the gash.

She touched the area around it. Daniel groaned in pain. Ignoring it she sat up on her knees putting both hands to the area on the inside of his leg. Suddenly she pulled at the cloth around it, ripping the opening further.

"Wilhelmina, what the hell are you doing?" He said, his eyes staring at her deliberately rip at his clothes.

"Stopping the bleeding." She said, the entire pant leg now completely removed. She quickly ripped it down the center making two long strands of cloth. Taking the longer one of the both she wrapped it back around his leg. His eyes clamped shut as she pulled at the ends, knotting it around his leg.

"Tight?" She asked, securing the knot.

"Tight?!" He responded with his remaining breath, "There's no room to breathe!"

"Good."

_Good. _He thought_. Good… Good! How could that be good!? _He glanced down at the place where the gash was located noticing that the blood had stopped flowing. She began to stand up reaching out an arm for him to take. He wouldn't take it, instead he put his hands underneath him trying to balance himself up.

"Stop trying to be all strong and take my hand." She said at his struggling.

Daniel stopped looking up at her extended arm. Realizing that he needed the help he took her hand. She rolled her eyes.

"You already saved me, let me help you."

Daniel stared at her in disbelief for a moment. He couldn't make out what was going on behind her eyes. The way she looked at him reminded him of the night, a few before, when he had kissed her. She had shocked him by kissing back. As he started to deepen the kiss he felt the back of his legs hit the chair behind him, that sat out looking over the balcony. He sat down, pulling her with him. On the chair he felt her kisses become softer. He began to place kisses down her neck as she broke from the kiss. At that she had turned, positioning her body so that all he could do was hold her. Yet again he was taken by surprise. In the light of the moon he saw her resting peacefully on his lap as he stroked her arms.

Looking at her now, he saw the same serene look in her eyes as he had before. One that he wasn't used to seeing on her. It was a complete astonishment to him that they could have gone this far with her and he they still hadn't had sex. Even on the first night. He had never kissed a woman without having her, even when he was fourteen. But this was different, he couldn't lay a finger on what it was. He couldn't deny that he had a lust filled desire to be with her every moment sense that first night. But there was something inside him. Something deeper that drew him to her.

Locking his gaze with hers he saw her hands slowly travel down. A stir of excitement rattled him as they lightly brushed over the exposed skin of his toned stomach. Reaching his belt buckle he let out a breath of air that he didn't know he had been holding. Suddenly he gasped as her hands pulled at the knot cutting off the spilling blood from his leg, tightening it. She smiled when she heard him swear and quickly removed her hands. _Damn women_.

She took a step back from him as he regained his breath.

"Now don't touch that," She said gesturing towards the wound. "I'll fix it."

"What about Cole?" He heard himself say.

"Shit, I forgot!"

* * *

"What's that noise?" Amanda said looking up from where she was packing her belongings, trying to spot Marc.

The doorbell rang again, "I'll get it!" She yelled, darting off from where she sat on her bed.

Running to the door she opened it causing it to swing open wildly on its hinges.

"Betty!?"

There on the threshold of her and Marcs apartment stood Betty. Clad in a blue cropped jacket, polka dotted skirt, and yellow and pink accessories.

"What are you doing here?"

"Daniels gone," She said, a trembling in her voice. "He won't answer any of my calls and I was wondering if you might know where he is."

"Well I'm sorry but we don't," Amanda said, "Marc and I are too busy trying to solve the mystery of where Al La Slater is off to."

"Wait, you mean Wilhelmina's gone to?"

"Betty that's exactly what I just said, geeze and I you all think I'm the blonde one."

"Amanda," Betty said, "if they're both gone then Mode doesn't have anyone to run it."

The blonde girl gasped the realization now hitting her.

"Betty, what are you doing here?"

Amanda turned around spotting Marc coming from around the corner, cell phone in hand.

"Marc, Betty just said that Daniel is missing to." She said staring at him.

"What?" He said staring at the girl.

"That means we have no bosses! Marc, Mode will have no one to run it!"

* * *

Daniel sat there on the edge of his bed, his torn pant still tied around his leg. He hadn't touched it as instructed. He now sat there waiting for a knock at his door. She had said that she was going to come by and fix it. He laid back on the edge of the bed, thinking. _Why had they all of a sudden been attacked? No one could have known where he or she was. Only if they had been followed from the parade. But no one had seen them_, he thought,_ he had made sure of it_. He turned, the searing pain of where the wound was flared again making him wince. He needed Wilhelmina to hurry up. He needed her to touch him again. To cause him more pain then he could bare. A feeling that he only ever got from her. His eyes closed as he saw her vividly trace her hands down his stomach before pulling at the knot on his leg. He wanted that again. To feel her.

* * *

"We're all going to die!"

"Mandy! Will you stop yelling that," Marc said, "You're not helping anything."

Amanda turned on the couch where she sat next to Marc, shutting her mouth.

"So what are we going to do?" Betty said, breaking the awkward silence.

"I don't know," He said, dropping his head into his hands. "Normally it's Wilhelmina who's the one figuring out what to do when Daniel has gone MIA."

Betty snorted, but in more of the disgusted rather than amused way.

"Now she's gone and it's all up to me."

"Marc, don't forget that I'm still here. It's not all in your hands." She said.

He sighed, rubbing his temples in a way that reminded him of how Wilhelmina would whenever she was under a great deal of stress.

"Ok well we know we need to keep Mode on its feet in their absence." Betty said.

"Yeah but whose gonna run it?" Amanda chimed in, staring at Betty.

Betty turned her head towards the position in which Marc was, "Marc?"

For the first time he looked up.

"No," He said gaining a gasp from both Amanda and Betty. "No I need to find Wilhelmina. I don't know what's happened to her, or if she's even alright."

"Then whose going to run the company?" Betty asked staring at him.

"You."

"What Betty?!" Amanda said looking back and forth from Marc to her.

"Yes," He said, "Betty you are already a fashion Editor, you know how it works. You can keep the company afloat."

She gaped at him, "Why?" She asked, her voice still dry.

"Because I need to find Wilhelmina, she means more to me then the company. She's my friend."

Marc turned in his seat. Suddenly a chime was heard from his right. He turned grabbing his phone. The tracking system on his phone had changed.

"Wait," He said, now staring at the tiny device. "She's moving."

* * *

_A/N: Ah here it is! ive been in NY for the past few days so updating wasnt a priority... mostly because i was to starstruckby seeing Vanessa Williams live on stage to function! And let me tell you... She is the most beautiful women i have ever seen. Flawless in everything she did. There wasnt a moment that she was on stage in which every eye was on her. Whew! Ok digressing done! haha enjoy! THIGHS! _

_R_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_What's happened?_ He thought to himself. It had been a long night and he hadn't slept a wink. He was waiting for her. And she hadn't shown. He waited through the next morning without a trace of her. He now found himself sitting out of the chair on the balcony, retying the band around his leg. Daniel winced as the wound contracted ripping at his skin. _Where was she when he needed her? _He got up, using all of his will power to ignore the pangs in his leg. He was now genuinely worried. The sun was beginning to set.

* * *

The sun outside of her window began to set painting the sky an exotic orange purple. On any other day she would have usually take a moment to watch the beauty in the light unfold but under these circumstances she couldn't bring herself to it. She had rushed back to find Cole after Daniel and hers incident the night before. When she returned to her spot, flushed and out of breath, it only took a moment to spot Cole walking back up the steps to where she was. She heaved in a great deal of air trying to regain her previous posture. He came up to her, the usual cool of his eyes seeming somewhere distant. Before she could speak they were heading back to the hotel. She found herself hastily throwing her things into her bag and checking out of the hotel. They had boarded the plane quickly and about an hour ago she had arrived to where she was now.

She stood there looking out over the private courtyard that laid outside her window. In the reflecting waters of the pool the flecks of light from the sun flicked a green color. She stared at it in disbelief. As she moved her body to the side the green suddenly disappeared leaving the blue water below. She rotated back. The green returned. Suddenly she put her hand up to her neck feeling the diamond placed on it. It was warm, as if left out in the sun. She held it, feeling it in her grasp, as she heard the sandstone carved doors that lead to Cole's room open.

* * *

He now found himself grasping the phone in his hands trying to decide whether it was better to risk calling her or not. She would not have just left him without a reason. He ended his pacing across the floors sitting on the bed as his leg began to flare up again.

Siding with his instinct he began to press the numbers on the phone as a knock came at his door. He stood up, a sudden feeling of relief washing over him as he approached the door. Opening it he came face to face with someone he hadn't been expecting. Two someone's.

"Oh my God Daniel!"

He stood there in disbelief at the sight of the two in his doorway, "Marc, Amanda?"

"Oh my gosh! Thank God you're alive!" Amanda said throwing her arms out at him. She hit him with full force, her tiny frame causing him to have to brace himself.

"Yes, I'm alright. How did you find me?" He said, completely struck.

"After Marc told Betty of how we were tracking Wilhelmina to plan to find her she totally stole the idea and tracked you."

"Wait you tracked me?" He said.

"By your phone." She said again.

"So that means you can find out where Wilhelmina is?" He said thinking on his feet, "Well then where is she?"

"She's not here," Marc spoke for the first time in the conversation. He was looking down at what appeared to be his phone. Daniel followed his gaze seeing a little red dot moving on the near right of the Indian Ocean.

* * *

She walked down the lit up streets of Mumbai following closely behind Cole in front of her. She had no idea where she was or where they were going and the feeling that had been striking her all morning was now coming in waves of attacks over her body. She was scared. She had left her only help back halfway across the world and was now in some foreign country with someone that she doubted she could trust.

Cole neared to a stop moving a few branches from the overgrowth of the trees over the old cobblestone walls as to have a clear view. In front of her was the most majestic building she had ever seen. From the angle of the sun hitting on the back of it it lit the sky ablaze in a purple hue which contrasted from the blues of the water from the large pool.

"Here we are," Cole said, grabbing her hand to lead her in.

She began to walk down the street after him, kicking at the bottom of her dress as to keep it from becoming ruined from the red sand below her feet.

They approached the building. Feeling the waves come over her again she spoke, "Cole, what are we doing here?"

"We're here to meet someone. If we're lucky." He said. As they reached the front of the building he turned, ceasing his movements. His grey eyes found hers looking straight into hers. He seemed to be trying to communicate a feeling of security without words. Wilhelmina stood back, trying to put a smile on her face to make him believe that she wasn't scared. But she was.

* * *

Daniel sat there leaning his whole figure against the frame of the car door.

"India?" He said again looking to his side at Marc and Amanda for any sign of humor in their words. "Why the hell is she in India?"

"Daniel I don't know," Marc said checking his phone again for any sign if movement. "Why do you randomly have a house in India?"

"It was an heir loom that has been passed down in our family for generations. We used to come here when we were kids whenever mom needed a holiday."

"Oh of course you didn't just travel to a beach, or even inside your country when you went on holiday, you just shot straight across the world!"

He ignored Marc's comment trying to remember exactly how the house had looked. Coming around the corner, the driver pulled up to a new smoother road then the one they had been traveling on for the last ten minutes. On the black gates in front of the property was the words "Meade Residence" casted in solid gold. He heard Amanda gasp as the car pulled to a halt in front of the huge house.

"I see why you would go here for vacation. You could get lost in this place!"

Daniel had never thought of it that way as a child. He stepped out of the car as it came to a halt, paying the driver as he retrieved his suitcase from the back.

The three of them made their way up to the front of the houses large white doors. He set his belongings down on the blue sari chairs.

"This is your house?" He heard Amanda say from behind him. He turned around seeing the pair of them staring up at the celling's and striking furniture that surrounded the place.

He shrugged a 'yes' as he watched Amanda drop her bags, running towards the gold tiles on the arches that lead to the open courtyard in the center of the house.

Marc walked along the sandstone floors checking out the beautiful handmade bronze, marble, wood & stone statues of Shiva Ganesh. He remembered from when he was young, his mother beginning to collect those and placing them in various places amongst the thirty rooms of the house.

After examining Marc sat carefully in one of the gold rimmed animal skinned chairs puling his buzzing phone from his pocket.

"What is it?" Daniel asked, walking towards him, the light purple light coming in from the open celling of the courtyard lighting his path.

Marc clicked a few times on the keyboard of his phone, a confused expression appearing on his face, "Its Betty."

"Betty?" Daniel asked.

"Yea we left her in charge of Mode while were gone," Amanda said, returning in from one of the large arched paths to the courtyard.

"She's in charge?" Daniel asked.

"Well yeah," Marc said, "Who'd you expect to do the job after you suddenly went MIA and Wilhelmina's gone rogue?"

Daniel stood there, stunned. He actually hadn't thought about it. Over the past few days Mode hadn't even crossed his mind. His focused had grown slowly on to Wilhelmina.

"What's going on?" He heard himself ask.

Marc shook his head, "It doesn't look like it's about Mode." He clicked on it, opening it. Bettys message appeared on the screen.

_You found Daniel?_

Marc began to respond, but before he could type a 'yes' Daniel stopped him telling him to call her.

As the phone began to ring he put it on speaker, setting it on the wooden desk in the middle of all of them.

"Marc?" Came Betty's voice through the phone.

"Betty." Daniel responded.

"Oh my God Daniel! You're alive!"

"Yes," He said, speaking to the little phone.

"Where's Wilhelmina?"

"We're still looking for her," Marc said cutting Daniel off. Suddenly an idea hit him.

"Betty I need your help." He said, cutting her off from her high pitched monologue of 'Oh my Gods.'

"Sure anything."

"I need you to search up a name," He said, hearing the phone on the other end be set down followed by the clicking of keys on a keyboard.

"Cole Blackburn."

Marc looked down at his phone now beeping, he picked it up looking at the dot that was tracking Wilhelmina move. He signaled to Daniel wordlessly.

"Blackburn? Daniel what's this for?"

"Betty I'm not going to able to explain right now," He said, looking down at the now stationary red dot on Marcs phone, "But I need you to tell me exactly what it says about him and quickly."

The voice on the other end of the phone went silent as the sound of typing keys filled the speaker.

"He's a body guard slash decetive." Daniel said, throwing it in as if it might help.

"Got it."

The three of them shifted, Marc and Amanda in their seats, as Daniel moved positions where he stood.

"um Daniel are you sure that's the right name?" Betty said over the phone.

"Yes, positive," He said not understanding, "Why?"

"Well because it says Cole Blackburn is dead."

* * *

She stood in the back of the large room with its all white carved walls decorated in fabulous arrays of vibrant exotic flowers of yellows, and pinks. There were people in the room dancing with sticks in vivid red colors around the floor, clashing the sticks together to create a beat. She walked to the furthest and most concealed part of the room. She flicked her eyes from the stairs to the drinks tables to the dirt dance floors. Every time someone would enter through the open side doors, she would scan them as to make sure she was still safe. Just then as she began to zone out of one area her mind wandered leading her back to Brazil. Where she had left Daniel without a warning and note telling him where she went. She was now worried beyond her wits end.

As the noise in the room began to heat up again as a new song started she felt as if she was moving. Realizing to late that she was she found herself being dragged backwards into a small coat closet. As she opened her mouth to scream the door shut in front of her and a hand shot over her mouth, muzzling her. In an instant the light in the small space had flicked on revealing the person foreclosing her mouth. She let out a breath feeling the warmth spring back to her face as the hand released.

"Daniel?!"She asked in disbelief, an airy tone emitting from her. A million questions and thoughts all coming to her as the feeling of new found security rushed through her,

"What. What are you--"

He shook his head at her, still jammed right next to her amongst the colorful wraps and shawls that hung in the room.

"Not the time. I need you to listen to me." He said, staring straight into her eyes.

She focused, looking at him letting out a deep breath.

"What."

"I need you to do something for me." He said staring straight back into her gaze.

"What."

"It's of the most importance," He said still looking right through her. She nodded her head, signaling him to go on. "I need you to do any and everything Cole says."

Her head spun in shock. "What!?"

"Wilhelmina I don't have time to explain. Here." He said extracting a paper from his pocket. She took it and he held her hand holding the paper. "Promise me you'll do what he says."

She froze for a minute before nodding. He let out a breath then pulled her in kissing her on the lips. Before she had time to respond he broke the kiss. Her eyes were still closed as he began to open the door.

* * *

_A/N : Here it is. April 14 2010. The end of an era of brilliance and acting excellence. The cast that we all came to know and love so very much. They shall be missed but live in our hearts, and fics, forever more. I shall never forget this show. It helped me through alot and always made me smile. _

_Ugly Betty 2006-2010_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

She made her way out of the small coat closet. Silently shutting the door behind her she checked around her. There was no sign of Daniel being there. Her eyes flickered from the red corners of the room trying to spot anyone who might have seen her exit after him. No one was looking at her in the only dark part of the room. Moving from the door she began to walk out onto the floor. Out of the left side of her eye she spotted a big muscular figure making its way towards her. She heard her heart begin to speed up as she realized it was Cole. The words Daniel had just muttered to her were still fresh. The feeling of his lips against hers was still riveting through her body. She took a gasping breath, calming herself, trying to settle her nerves as he came up to her.

"Enjoying yourself?" He said bending over to reach her ear so that he could be heard over the booming music in the room.

She quickly nodded, feeling less sure then what she was trying to portray.

"Good," He said a slight tinge in his voice, "follow me."

She gulped when his back turned from her. _You must do any and everything he says_.

* * *

"Daniel what took you forever!?"

Daniel raced to the car as to not draw suspicion from being seen. Once sat between Marc and Amanda the car sped off down the road.

"Did you find Wilhelmina?" Marc said.

Daniel turned nodding his head. Marc took a deep breath closing his eyes.

"Good. Her dot has been moving for the past few hours like crazy," Marc said motioning to his cell phone as he spoke.

"Wait," Daniel said. He reached out, picking up the phone.

"You said you found me by tracking my cell phone?" He asked. Marc and Amanda both nodded in unison looking at him with confused expressions. "And you used the same method to locate Wilhelmina?"

The pair nodded again now even more dumbstruck.

Daniel looked at them a sense of sudden fear washing over him. "The night Wilhelmina disappeared I went over to her apartment to check on her. Instead of talking to her I ended up seeing Cole. He said he phone had been 'lost' previously."

Marc and Amanda's faces were expressionless as they tried to decipher what Daniel meant.

"I tried to call her that night also just to make sure. She doesn't have her phone," He said looking down at the moving dot, "Cole does."

* * *

She now found herself at the back doors of the building she had just been in. Cole had momentarily gone away to talk to a few men about something. She stood there looking at the buildings architecture. Under the carved sandstone walls was a sign just next to the doors. It was small and in the limited light of outside, hard to read, but something caught her eye. She leaned in closer to it reading the tiny print at the bottom.

**CO² & CO**

She blinked looking at the tiny print.

"Ready?"

She spun around at the sound of Cole's voice coming up from behind her,

"Ready?" She sputtered, "Ready for what?"

"We're leaving."

"Leaving. All ready?" She asked. "Why?"

"Change in plans."

* * *

Cole replayed the tapes again, the only light in the room emitting from the black and white images on the TV screen. The small door of a little closet in the dark corner of the lit room shutting momentarily before reopening moments later. He paused the tape as a figure emerged from the room. Pressing the 'zoom' button on his remote the image began to fade but the figure became clearer. He clicked the 'play' button letting the images move screen by screen until the second figure exited the door. He recognized the woman as Wilhelmina. Zooming out he rewound the tapes focusing in on the first figure.

He froze it, remembering what the guards had told him.

_"Boss says he needs more time."_

_"What." Cole said as more of a demand then a question._

_"It can't happen tonight. Something's come up."_

_"I'm your boss," He said, his accent beginning to slip out with his temper, "My initials are on that building as well. You think the 2 after 'CO' means nothing? The tradeoff was planned for tonight."_

_The guard shuddered in realization, "So sorry Mr. Owens. I didn't recognize you," The man said. "You look so very different from the pictures your brother keeps of you."_

_Cole merely continued to stare at the man, "Why the change." He said, still not asking._

_The guard began to fumble around in the slinked bag over his shoulder. He pulled something out, producing a tape marked, 'SECURITY.' He handed it to Cole without looking him in the eye._

He ran a hand through his dyed black hair as he tried to decipher who the first figure was. He doubted his being Connor, but then again he could never be sure with him. Then, as the image on the screen faded out again, something in the persons back coat pocket stuck out. He zoomed in reviewing the image. His eyes widened. The object was a letter with the name _Daniel Meade_ scribbled on it.

* * *

The air of the morning struck Daniels face standing out on the terrace that he had once played on as a young child. He looked over the landscape of the city below him. It was so very different from New York and Brazil. The air was breathable, people actually wore clothing down the streets, and the buildings had more bravura in a way. He scanned the buildings knowing that somewhere out there was Wilhelmina.

From his back coat pocket he produced a small folded envelope. He hadn't changed his clothing from the night before. The three of them had arrived back at his house and stayed up the through the night planning out the events of the day. He opened the envelope seeing that it was empty. The paper that had once been placed in there was now in the hands of Wilhelmina. He had forgotten the envelope was even there. The sun began to peak over the buildings. It was almost time for their plans to start.

* * *

Wilhelmina turned down the street into a small shop. Walking through the open doors she ducked under the colorful scarves that hung from the ceiling. Looking around it was deserted. She stopped, seeing the tables. She walked to the right corner of the room and down to the third table in the row. Opening the tiny piece of paper that was now folded in a tight grip in her hands, she scanned the page. Underneath the last line _'third table on the right_,' it had words scribbled underneath. _Turn down corner._

Looking up she spotted a small hidden walkway. She folded the piece of paper back up taking the turn. At the end, she found a small door on the corner of the little tunnel. She hesitated for a moment before opening it. The door clicked.

"Wilhelmina!"

The room on the other side became clear as two figures emerged.

"Marc?!" She said spotting him first.

"Oh my gosh! We thought you had died!"

She turned her head now seeing the other person in the room, "Amanda?"

Before she had even stepped foot into the room she felt to arms engulf her in a tight hug.

"Are you ok?" He asked breaking apart from his hug before she could embrace him back.

"Yes," She answered staring at him not knowing how to respond to the overwhelming feeling of knowing they were there. She walked into the room a step as Marc pushed the door behind them closed.

"Where are we?" She asked taking in the small windowless room. She turned back facing Amanda. "Where is Daniel?"

"He sent us to meet you." Amanda said. "He needed to set something's up and to provide a cover for us."

Wilhelmina blinked taking in the information. She felt a tiny cringe at the news of him not being there. "Provide a cover for what?"

Marc came over sitting down beside her on the small couch opposite of Amanda.

"We're going to find a way to get you out of here." He said.

"How? I can't go back," She said now looking at him, "People who have been chasing me everywhere I go. I'm not safe at home and I don't know who is coming after me."

Marc shook his head slowly, holding up a printed piece of paper.

"We do," He said. "This is a certificate of death," He added at her face of confusion. "It's for Cole Blackburn."

Her eyes opened in shock as he read on. "It says he was killed thirty years ago in a car crash." She felt her heart pound faster.

"Then if he is dead. Who have I been with?"

"The same person that has been attacking you."

* * *

Daniel stood there at the spot in which he had told Marc and Amanda to meet him with Wilhelmina. The pier was deserted. He knew the back roads well. He checked his clock. _10 minutes late._ He began to pace back and forth quickly. He had written out the instructions clearly making sure that they could find him quickly and with ease. He turned in his path as the sound of footsteps began to approach.

"Daniel!"

He spun around at the sound of his name being called from a voice in the distance.

Behind him were three figures approaching from the main road to where he stood. From anywhere it would have looked like four friends all meeting and planning on taking a joy ride in their boat out on the water in the afternoon.

A smile of relief emerged on his face as he saw Wilhelmina walking in front of the two following. As she came up he saw the obvious worry written over her face. She walked up and before she could speak he pulled her into a hug.

He felt the frail warmth of her against him and pulled her in tighter. He only softened when he felt he begin to loosen.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, when he let go of her.

"Have you done everything he's asked?" He said staring straight into her eyes.

She nodded. Breaking their gaze he looked up from her spotting Marc and Amanda. He gestured to them to go and check out their surroundings to make sure they couldn't be spotted.

"We're going to get out of here. You and me," He said returning his gaze to her.

Her eyes suddenly changed looking straight through him. "Why?"

"Why what?" he asked not understanding.

"Why are you doing this?"

He stood there dumbstruck, staring into her eyes, which seemed to be burning through him.

"I… because you are in danger," He said shifting his gaze from hers.

"That doesn't answer my question," She said burning a hole through him where she looked.

He didn't look at her, "We need to find a way to get away from Cole. To figure out who he is and what he is doing without getting caught." He said. He kept his gaze to the side not daring to look at her.

"He's not protecting you," He began, "He's the one who is…" Daniels sentence was cut off short by the sound of rushing footsteps headed back towards them. He turned expecting it to be Marc or Amanda. He felt his throat dry up as his heartbeat elevated at the sight if the person coming up.

"Daniel? Now what are you doing here?"

* * *

**A/N: Hello my little danimina monsters you! I wanted to call out a few people that have really meant alot to me. They have helped me become a better writter. They have stayed up with me all the way through the nights on my end... which is morning for most of them... writing along with me and encouraging... (and occasionally threatening) me to wright. They have also spurred my imagination and outlook on things, especially on off days making it easier to get through. They have brought smiles to my face during random times in class.. especially math, recieving text from them that make me bust out laughing at the most innapropriate of times. and they have made my addiction to Vanessa Williams almost unberable to where even saying her name makes me think of them... that and Thighs... I love you guys. you'll never know how much you mean to me.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

His heartbeat elevated as he ran up the emergence staircase of the hotel. In a moment he thought he was going to die and now he was again running for his life. He saw the two figures in front of him turn as the staircase wound to label the eighth floor. The one in front stopped, instead of climbing the next set of stairs they pulled out a key opening the small door on the landing. Daniel followed the two figures in front of him rushing through the door. Suddenly he found himself in a small-enclosed space as he ran into Wilhelmina who had stopped and now stood stock still in front of him. From behind him he heard the heavy door close. He snapped his head around facing the figure that now stood across from him and Wilhelmina.

"What the hell Cole?!" He said.

"Sshhh!" Cole silenced them, turning to face the both of them.

"What are we doing here?" He asked now in a hushed tone, keeping his distance. "You said someone was about to attack us!"

Cole turned his back on the both of them.

"Yes and that person is in this room."

He blinked, "What?"

Cole rounded on him, "and now it's time to get rid of him."

Daniel gasped as he felt Wilhelmina stiffen next to him her breath becoming nonexistent.

"What?!"

"Don't even try to play me Meade! I know you are the one behind all of this!"

Daniel blinked not believing what he was hearing. "What?!"

"You were the one who sent people to attack us in New York, when our attempt at ransacking Wilhelmina's apartment failed to fool you _you_ sent others to come after us again!"

Daniel backed up, now entirely against the cold wall behind him, Coles abnormally large finger in his face.

"Didn't you!" Cole yelled forcing Daniel to squeeze into the wall. Daniel didn't know what was going on! He was rammed as far as he could go into the wall with Coles pertruding figure towering over him close enough to feel his breath. The normally calm grey eyes not stone cold bearing through him.

"It's not him!"

Daniel and Coles attention both turned rapidly to Wilhelmina jumping in between where Cole had Daniel pinned against the wall. She had her arms out to her sides as if protecting a baby in front of him. Daniel winced at the sudden pain he felt shoot through his leg as her body pressed into his. The small band that was tied around the wound on his leg now dug in deeper making it almost unbearable.

"Cole stop," She said, still making a barrier in between them, "It's not him."

Cole moved back a step only allowing enough room for them to breathe.

"How do you know that?" Cole said his eyes never leaving Daniel.

"You have to believe me I just do."

"That's not good enough, Wilhelmina. With everything we've worked for to not have to killed and now you expect me to believe that he isn't the one who's been attacking us because you just know?" Cole stormed, "Well then if it's not him. Who is it?"

"You." Daniel shouted from behind Wilhelmina. Cole spun facing him his face unreadable. Then as if finding something amusing an almost warm laugh escaped from his lips.

"What evidence do you have to prove that?" He asked staring straight through Daniel.

"We found a certificate of Death, it had your name on it. Or the name that you've decided to go by. If you're not the one planning all of these attacks then why would you need to go to such lengths to not have us know who you are?"

Without a pause Cole answered, "Do you really think there aren't more than one Cole Blackburn in the world? It is a safety precaution. In my line of work no one uses their real name."

"And what line of work is that, planning ways to murder people?" Daniel said.

"You hired me to be a bodyguard and to protect. And that's what I do. So if neither of us is the cause then that means there is someone else behind this."

At the shift in Coles voice Daniel felt a slight shiver run through his spine, "Oh and who would that be?"

Cole shifted his gaze towards Wilhelmina, "It's not a question of who, but it's a question of how do we get him to show. I have an idea."

* * *

Marc and Amanda stood back in Daniels large house. The last they had seen of him and Wilhelmina had been on the beach a few hours previous. The sun was now low in the sky as they searched from room to room.

"Daniel!" Amanda called out looking into another vacant room.

"Marc, what if we've lost them? What if they've died? What are we going to do?"

Marc turned to her from where he stood behind her.

"Mandy I don't know. How could we have lost them, they were right there."

The girl looked at him not sure what to say. Breaking the silence Marc's phone buzzed in his pocket letting him know he had received a text.

_To: Marc_

_From: Daniel_

_We are ok. I can't tell you where we are because quite frankly I'm not sure. We might have found who is coming after Wilhelmina._

Marc read it aloud twice before looking up at his friends face.

"Does he really think we're not gonna come find them?" he said as he clicked the button to trace the text.

* * *

Daniel stood in the position in which he had been standing for the past two minutes. _What the hell kind of a plan was this?_ He turned scanning the area. Moments before he and Wilhelmina had walked into the place in which Cole had instructed them to find. He had expected an old dark and semi gangster-ish black room with smoke clouding all sight. Where he stood now looked nothing like that. The room was the size of a average apartment, the walls covered in vibrant purple drapes. And most of all he was absolutely not expecting music and people dancing. Looking around it seemed that they had found themselves in a club. But certainly not a type of club he had ever been in. From the music it appeared to be a jazz club. He stared in disbelief, was this Coles way of tricking them. Now turning back he realized Wilhelmina still hadn't returned. She had gone off in search of finding a way to figure out who person behind all of this was. She had said 5 minutes. He pulled out the phone in his pocket.

As he clicked it to see the time the music in the room which had died down quickly picked back up again. From behind him he felt a hand sneak around his arm pulling him through the crowd. He turned his head trying to see the person who had a hold of him. From the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of a gold streak before he had to turn his head back as to not run into others. In a matter of seconds he found himself in the back corner of the club behind the modest drinks bar.

"What the hell?" He spun around as the hand that had grasp of him released.

"Daniel!"

He blinked almost not recognizing the woman who stood in front of him.

"Wilhelmina!" He looked at her. "What took you so long? Where'd you get that?!" He gestured to her dress as he took in her outfit. The dress that was now on her was small and gold, hugging her every curve as it wound down her body to, he nearly gasped, it didn't even come close to reaching her knees as all of her dresses did. He stood back for a moment taking in just how much leg was sticking out if the dress. She had definitely not worn that in.

"I don't have time to explain, I might have found a way to our guy, follow me." With that she spun of her heel, which he noticed weren't the ones she had walked in with either. He begun to follow her looking up. The gold dress moved with her hips every time she took a step almost mesmerizingly. She walked even further into the darkness of the corner of the club. Just as the he suddenly couldn't see anymore she stopped, causing him to run into her. He heard a knock and then a light appeared out of the darkness of the corner. With the music in the room getting louder he could barely make out a slight whispering before the light disappeared. She turned to him.

"Daniel, I'm going to need you to follow my lead. I have a plan. When we go in I'm going to cause a distraction so that you can sneak around to the backstage unnoticed. Once you're backstage hide and wait for me. Got it?"

He tried to see her to see if she was kidding, realizing that it was still pitch black where they stood she spoke again. "Got it?"

"Sure." He said completely unsure.

An almost eerie creaking noise emanated from the space in which they stood. A sliver of light appeared.

She turned again to him whispering in his ear, "And above all don't get caught."

As he opened his mouth to speak the light became brighter and split through the darkness. He realized the light was coming from a large circular metal door in the very corner of the room.

She took a step, passing through the door, into what appeared to be another room on the other side. As the door began to shut he jumped through following her.

His instantly shut his eyes as they began to sting. The light in the room was a shock from the pitch black that had surrounded him moments earlier. Slowly opening them again he took in his surroundings. He now stood in the center of what appeared to be a secret club. _A club hidden by a club?! _The red lights of the room followed by the pink and blue laser lights were the only things lighting the room. He turned trying to spot Wilhelmina to ask her how she had known of the hidden club. Looking to his right he found that she was nowhere in sight. He peered over the tops of the crowded dance floor seeing no hint of her. Then as if as a wakeup call he heard someone yell "what are you waiting for" and her words flooded back to him. _When we go in I'm going to cause a distraction so that you can sneak around to the backstage unnoticed. _He quickly snapped his head around searching for some type of backstage entrance. The walls of the room were completely covered by people dancing and talking animatedly. He turned the other way spotting a large red-lit stage where a man was now walking on. The man picked up the microphone, which had been discarded, beginning to talk. The whole atmosphere of the room seemed to change as he got their attention. Daniel took it as a cue to go as the people who had been on the walls started to gravitate towards the dance floor to hear the man who was now talking better. He began to weave his way through the crowds to the outsides of the room. Then as he began to make it halfway the lighting of the room changed. Everything that had been lit by red light had now turned a deep shade of purple. All of the spot lights that had been roaming the room creating shapes on the walls now moved all focusing on the stage. He turned as the crowd cheered. The man that had been on the stage was exiting as the stage went dark. Clouds of colored smoke began to emerge and fog the stage creating the illusion of it floating. Then a single blue light shinned illuminating something lowering form the top of the stage. He stared trying to see what it was. The huge platform began to lower from the top of the stage. The crowd cheered again and then he saw it. He gaped, on the platform stood Wilhelmina. The gold dress in which she had been wearing earlier was nowhere to be found as a gold, floor length, sequined dress emerged into sight.

He stared in amazement as the platform she stood on slowly touched the ground. She walked down the steps, picking up the microphone on her way. The light followed her perfectly as she walked forward, the large room went silent watching as the dress gleamed with every movement she took. Then from around her neck an emerald green color glowed. _The diamond._ There was no noise in the room as every eye was on her. She raised the microphone to her lips. From behind her the stage went blue and a beat picked up. She opened her mouth and began to sing. Daniel stood there hypnotized. He had no idea she could sing. She continued. As the people who were now inhabiting the floor began to dance he realized that this was the distraction. He forced himself to tear his eyes from the stage, and the figure of her body under the dress. He turned again finding the outsides of the walls. With the people cleared from them he could search the perimeter of the room mostly with his eyes. Then to the left of the stage he spotted a door. He began to make his way towards it, running along the outside of the room. He could hear the song and her voice reverberate through the room along with whistles and shouts of praise from the crowd. He didn't let himself look, or else he knew he would stop. He reached the threshold of the door. Flicking his head back for a moment he scanned the room. All eyes were on the woman in gold on the stage. He looked up seeing the upper levels of the room. None of them could have spotted them where he stood. He turned, seeing a glimpse of a gold flash on the stage before turning to the door and sliding it open.

~x~

Daniel stopped short. The room he had enter was not at all what he had expected. Unlike any backstage that he had ever been in this room was even, if not more, decorated. The walls were painted red with gossamer red and purple hangings covering the celling's hanging low. In the room was six tables each surrounded by long, sitting, floor pillows and throws. In the corner of each table was a set of clothing along with a name tag in the center of each table. He looked over the one nearest to him. The center name tag said 'K' on it. He took a step back confused.

"Are you lost?"

Daniel spun around quickly almost losing his balance. A woman came from a door on the side of the room.

"Uh…" He sputtered. _And above all don't get caught._ His mind rapidly began spinning, "No."

The woman walked forward the light showing her red dress, "What's your name?"

Daniels mind raced, he couldn't tell her his real name. He didn't know if she worked for this 'man' that was attacking them or not. Quickly he blurted out the first name that came to mind.

"Cole," He said, "Cole Blackburn."

The woman nodded as if recognizing the name. "It's nice to meet you," She said offering a hand, "My name is Adina."

He shook it not sure of how she would know Cole.

"The other girls are in the changing rooms," She said, "Follow me."

She turned leading back through the door she had entered from. He followed not sure if it was a good idea. Once in the room he was surrounded by mirrors. The girl Adina stopped clearing her throat. The other women in the room turned facing her.

"This is Mr. Blackburn," She said addressing the women. As if ringing a bell the other women all immediately sprung up to greet him.

"Nice to meet finally meet you Mr. Blackburn," The first one in a floor length magenta dress said, "I'm Francesca."

He shook her hand as the others introduced themselves. The woman named Luana in a stunning light blue dress followed by Jazmine in a deep purple dress.

"And I'm Kirsten," Said the last woman in a striking one shouldered gown, "But I go by K."

Daniel shook her hand realizing that it was her table that he had seen.

"Is there something that you need?" Jazmine asked.

Daniel thought on his feet, these women obviously believed that he was Cole, he decided to ask, "Where is the entrance to the stage?"

"That way." Luana spoke. He followed her hand finding a door. He thanked them before heading towards it.

He stood there at the entrance to the stage. The large door was slightly cracked. He peered around the corner spotting a figure on the stage. _Wilhelmina, _he thought. The light on the stage began to dim and the fog began to disappear slowly. A thunderous applause began to echo through the small crack of the door. He stood back as the stage went completely dark. The door opened.

"Wilhelmina!" He said.

She gasped turning to see him.

"Daniel!"

"I didn't know you could sing!"

She silenced him with her hand, "There's no time for that," She said quietly. "We're one step closer. I've found a way to find this guy."

She let go of covering his mouth but didn't stop whispering. "He owns the club, and from what the people say he lives not too far from here."

"And how are we supposed to find him?" He asked.

Without speaking she moved from where she was pressed lightly to him. She moved her hands down to her thigh and pulled. The dress split apart with ease. He hadn't noticed the slit from stage. Underneath it she pulled out a piece of paper that was held to her leg in the place between the band that was around her leg.

"Directions," She said.

* * *

**A/N: **Ok so i just have to say that was the Hardest chapter of my life to write. And i think the worlds longest paragraphs... enjoy and love to my girls!


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